I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts
by Kung-fu Blaziken
Summary: After his family was shattered, Danny nearly crossed the line. Broken, he's forced to flee from everything he knows. But, there is a light at the end. He will find a new home, and a place in a brotherhood stronger than blood. Who you gonna call?
1. Mid Day Dusk

_I don't own Danny Phantom. Butch Hartman does. If I DID own Danny Phantom, the third season wouldn't have been as rushed, we'd have seen more of Danielle, and the series finale would have involved Dark Phantom._

_I love this story! I'm excited to be writing it!_

_At any rate, this is starting out much darker in tone than my other stories, so you have been warned. Now, ON WITH THE SHOW!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>We are about to unfold the story of Danny Phantom, a hero who has suffered in his time, yet still won the day.<strong>_

_**Then, he lost. Horribly.**_

_**Over the course of this story, he shall lose much and find much. This is the story of him and the brotherhood he finds. It is the story of how they helped heal his scars, helped him grow, and how he in turn gained a place among them. It is how he lost everything and rebuilt a new life from the ashes. It is the story of how he went from a mostly-reviled protector of a small town to a respected hero of a big city and beyond. **_

_**It deals with great darkness. Many parts of the story are far from sunny. **_

_**I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even – horrify you. So if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain – uh, well, you've been warned.**_

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 1  
><span>Mid-day Dusk<span>

_**The night is darkest just before the dawn.  
><strong>__**-Old proverb**_

**oOo**

A black-haired boy slept peacefully, the sun just barely illuminating the shadowy cave of his room. Everything was peaceful.

Then the alarm clock blared. It was a cheery, peppy song, reveling in its sweetness and warbling to signal the morning.

A groan went unnoticed by the alarm clock, which kept singing out, oblivious to the hand stretching out from the covers, or the bizarre green glow the hand was emitting.

ZAP! BOOM!

"Hate that song."

The teen slipped his smoking hand back under the covers, wanting just a few more minutes of sleep. It had gone uninterrupted last night, and he didn't want it to end just yet.

His sister had other plans.

"DANNY! Stop trying to destroy that alarm clock. You know it can't be destroyed with ecto-energy. Now get up! You have school!"

Danny Fenton groaned and rose out of bed, knowing his sister would continue to pester him until he did. Bleary with the morning, he didn't seem too noticeable. Black hair, blue eyes, tall and lean frame, he seemed every inch an Everyman.

And that was how he liked it. For if you looked closer, you would see lean muscle and multiple scars beneath his oft-baggy clothes. And his eyes, a robin's egg blue, carried about them a strange way. Often times, nothing was amiss, but if you paid close attention, you would see a depth to them, a look you would expect to find on a veteran fighter, a soldier who had seen much.

There was a reason for this. Danny Fenton was not entirely human. No, ever since an accident with a device known as a Ghost Portal, his very genetics had been fused with ectoplasm, the substance of ghosts. On that day, Danny Phantom was born.

Ask anyone in the town of Amity Park, and they would have something to say about Phantom. Accounts were varied. Some said he was a hero, others, a villain. Danny Phantom was a mysterious and powerful ghost, capable of great feats. Often, he could be found fighting one of the malevolent spirits that abounded in the town. Or, perhaps he worked with them to cause destruction. It depended on who you asked.

For Danny, it was a job. No one else could do what he did. No one else had the power. Sure, there were human ghost hunters who could do the job. His parents were two of them. But he had the power, and thus, it was his responsibility to help out in any way he could, no matter what others might think of him.

And what power he had! When he had first gotten his powers, he was falling all over them. Parts of his body turned invisible and intangible at the worst of times. Once, he had even awoken to find himself floating a few feet above his bed. Now, he was an extremely powerful ghost, capable of great physical feats. He could fly at extremely high speeds, and if he pushed himself, he could come close to breaking the sound barrier. The beams of energy he shot forth could be powerful enough to shatter a tank, or fine enough to cook a piece of popcorn perfectly. His control over his cold core, the source of his ice powers and ghost-sensing abilities, was so great, he could approach temperatures that could shatter metal on contact, or follow the ectoplasmic trail of a ghost. His power was so great, only the bravest or most driven of ghosts (like Skulker) dared stand against him. Even the human ghost hunters knew his power. The government-funded ghost hunting organization, the Guys in White, usually gave Danny Phantom a wide berth. An incident where Danny practically demolished twenty agents in power suits sealed that deal.

But right now, he wasn't Danny Phantom. He was plain old Danny Fenton, high school senior, brother, son, best friend, and boyfriend.

Danny tromped downstairs after his shower, more or less ready for the day. To his surprise, his sister had managed to save a few pancakes from the hungry maw of his father.

Jack Fenton, the patriarch of the family, was a bumbler. There was no debate on that, nor was there any debate as to his creative genius. His ideas for ghost fighting gadgets and weaponry usually worked, and worked well. Danny was hard-pressed to think of a time when the inventions totally failed. They worked, sometimes in unexpected ways, but they worked. Such was the genius of Jack Fenton, creator of the Ghost Portal (and yet, the bungler who put the on button inside the thing). He was a bear of a man, but jolly as the Santa Claus he passionately believed in, and could always be spotted by the bright orange HAZMAT suit he wore (most other materials gave him rashes, oddly enough).

Maddie Fenton was less exuberant than her husband, but no less brilliant. The technical genius who often made Jack's ideas reality, she was also a crack shot and a master martial artist, skills which aided greatly in ghost hunting. And while she didn't like to admit it, the brown-haired woman was quite beautiful. Not bad for a mother of two.

Then there was Jasmine, or Jazz as everyone called her. A psychologist in training, home from her semester at college, hers was a logical mind. At first, she didn't believe in ghosts, but upon discovering her younger brother's secret, she became a silent partner in his endeavors. She wasn't the best shot, but the redhead made up for it by being an emotional ground wire for Danny when he needed it. If not for her support, his nightmares concerning The Darkness would be much worse.

Together, Jack and Maddie were major forces in the field of paranormal science, and Jazz herself was starting to gain some recognition for her forays into the psychology of ghosts.

Danny allowed himself a small grin. Her sessions with Danny Phantom had gained her the attention. While he took some credit, it was really Jazz who deserved the lion's share of it. In return, she had helped him with his schoolwork. While ghost fighting took a big part of his time, with Jazz's help, he got his grades to a better level than they had been since the accident.

Danny polished off his pancakes and was about to go get his backpack when his father called out.

"Hang on a sec, Danny-boy. I need to talk to you for a second."

"Can we talk later? I need to pack my bag."

"We'll talk while you pack. Your room then."

Jack followed Danny out of the kitchen in back to Danny's room. As Danny started putting a few books back in the backpack, he spoke.

"So, what's up?"

"I just wanted to say that you're doing a good job. In _everything_."

Danny paused in placing his last book in his bag. Was it paranoia, or had there been an odd emphasis on 'everything'?

"You've done a lot, Danny. Even when people pushed you down, you got right back up and kept going. Even when your mother and I didn't believe you."

"Uh, am I missing something?"

"You know, if this were months ago, I might have bought that."

Danny stiffened slightly. Did he…KNOW?

"I don't want to pry. A man's secrets are his unless he needs to share them. But no matter what happens, son, I'm proud of you, and I'll support anything you do…"

Danny didn't know what to say. Thankfully, the clock said it for him.

"You better get going," said Jack, "Don't want to be late."

Danny dashed out of his room, slightly worried. Ever since the accident, he had been terrified that his parents wouldn't accept his ghost half. After a while, those fears dwindled, and were replaced by the wish not to drag them into his problems. It was bad enough that his friends and sister insisted on getting involved. So, he hid himself, doing everything to keep people from knowing, especially his parents.

Had he failed? Did his dad know? Questions to ask Sam and Tucker.

**oOo**

Sam Manson (anyone but her family who called her Samantha had a death wish) tapped her foot against the ground, the combat boot clunking against the pavement. Her arms were crossed, and her face had more of a scowl than usual. Usually, her Goth nature gave her a disaffected scowl, but this was deeper. This was a scowl born in impatience.

Beside her, the African American teen in the red beret let out a worried sigh before diving back into his PDA. If Danny didn't show up in the next five minutes…

A sudden cold presence beside him announced the arrival of their friend. A shuffle in the bushes, a flash of light, and another shuffle later, and their friend Danny was beside them.

"Sorry I'm late," said Danny, "Dad held me back for a bit to talk."

"Anything serious, man?" asked the boy.

"No Tucker. At least, I don't think."

"Uh-oh. Better tell Dr. Foley what's going on."

"Ignoring the usual drivel from Tucker, what IS going on?" asked Sam, pushing some of her black hair behind her ear.

"I think he might know," said Danny, and he outlined the talk.

His friends hissed sympathetically. Sam grabbed his hand.

"Relax. We'll help you out if you need it."

"Thanks Sam, but I think this is something I need to do myself. If you two want to help afterward, though, that would be great."

"Should give me enough time to put a little more polish that that program," replied Tucker, "Call and we'll be there, dude."

Tucker and Sam were his best friends. They had been by his side for years and were two of the only people who knew his identity as Danny Phantom. While he didn't often like it, they helped him fight ghosts when possible.

Tucker Foley was a techno-geek, a person obsessed with technology. An expert on all things computer, he was a brilliant hacker and programmer. Danny often swore that Tucker could do magic on his PDA. Half the things Tucker did with it shouldn't have been possible, and yet Tucker did it anyway. At present, he had a series of programs in the works that he felt confident would make him a millionaire.

Sam, on the other hand, was different. She had been friends with Danny for less time than Tucker had, but this did not matter. A textbook Goth, she wore black clothing everyday, wrote dreary poetry, and had a rather bleak outlook on the world. There were only a few things that could put a smile on her face. One of them was Danny. While she had been pining for him for years, it had only been recently he confessed his own feelings for her. They were currently dating, and cared for each other deeply.

The three entered school, Danny and Sam holding hands, and most of the day passed uneventfully.

In truth, Danny was jittery. Usually, there was some ghostly interruption. The Box Ghost for example, a very pathetic spirit with control over boxes and an inflated ego, could be counted on to show up at least three times a week. He hadn't been seen in two. Neither had Skulker, a ghostly hunter with designs on Danny, regularly claiming that his pelt would "rest at the foot of my bed!"

With such regular attacks, Danny was almost constantly in a state of battle-readiness, and he found himself unable to relax all day. Finally…

"FENTON!"

Danny shut his locker, almost happy that there would be some action, even if it _was_ just his bully.

Dash Baxter was blond and brawny, the stereotypical jock and the consummate bully. Danny had been his favorite punching bag for several years. Ironically, he was a major fan of Danny Phantom, and if Danny's identity ever came out, he was confident that he would enjoy the look on Dash's face.

The look on Dash's face NOW, though, said that he was taking a bad grade out on Danny. Danny sighed. Dash used to frighten him, but after fighting ghosts for three years, Dash was just annoying.

"Let me take a wild guess, Dash. You got a bad grade and need something to take your anger out on."

"Got it in one!" said Dash, cocking his fist back.

Danny shifted his feet slightly, but Dash didn't notice. The fist launched. Danny caught it without even trying. The Box Ghost threw faster punches.

"You know something, Dash? I really don't think this is working. Maybe you should get a tutor, one who you won't stare at and lose your concentration because of it. Beating me up isn't going to change ANYTHING in the long run. And I've been taking martial arts, and I'm not afraid to use them if things escalate. You DON'T want things to escalate."

Dash looked Danny straight in the eye, ready to launch a comeback. Then he stopped, transfixed by the blue-eyed teen's gaze. For a split-second, Dash saw something in Danny's eyes, something that scared him.

He didn't know it, but what he saw was a piece of Phantom.

Dash backed off.

Sam and Tucker walked over to Danny, having seen the whole thing.

"Dude, that was amazing," said Tucker, "You got him to back down just by _looking _at him."

But Sam wasn't sharing Tucker's amazement.

"Danny, are you okay? You wouldn't usually scare Dash like that."

Danny huffed.

"Do you guys think things are TOO quiet? There haven't been any major ghost attacks recently, not even Skulker or Box Ghost. Even Vlad's been quiet lately. I don't know, but it just feels like the calm before the storm."

Sam leaned over and kissed Danny on the cheek.

"Danny, relax. You're just working yourself up."

Danny stared into her lilac eyes, eyes he loved so much.

"I guess I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Three years of ghost fighting will do that to you. It's called healthy paranoia."

"Forget it, dude," said Tucker, "Just think about what you're going to say to your dad."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking…"

Danny suddenly cracked a grin.

"And ma head hurts," he finished, pulled a decent Old West accent.

The three shared a small laugh at the Yosemite Sam gag and continued their day.

**oOo**

The sky was overcast, and a cold wind was starting to blow, signaling that a storm was brewing. The trees around Danny shed the last of their leaves, a sign that the snow would soon come.

Danny barreled through the front door, a few fallen leaves following him. Divesting himself of his backpack, he called out.

"I'm home! Mom? Dad? Jazz?"

The house was silent. Then Danny remembered that his sister's car hadn't been parked in its usual spot.

"How did I miss that? You could spot that color a mile away! She and mom must be out shopping or something. Dad wouldn't be caught dead shopping with them. Perfect. Man-to-man talk time. DAD?"

Danny headed toward the door to the basement, figuring his dad would be down there. He opened the door and was about to shout out when it hit him. His senses were sharper than a normal person's, so the smell hit _hard_.

"Oh GOD! What is THAT?"

Holding his nose, he started down the stairs.

"Dad, what did you do? The smell is horrible! What are you-"

Danny stopped dead at the bottom of the stairs. His hand fell down to his side, and the smell, worse than before, rammed up his nose, but he didn't pay it any attention. His eyes were transfixed by the scene before him.

Red splattered the walls of the lab. Chunks of burned mush speckled the floor. The Ghost Portal had a strange symbol on it, written in red. The symbol wasn't immediately apparent. Scorch marks were present everywhere, and the equipment in the lab was broken, clear signs of some kind of struggle. Vials and beakers, dripping green with ectoplasm samples, lay shattered on the tables and floor. A huddled form lay in the center of it all.

The color orange was apparent under all the red.

It all added up in horrific clarity for Danny. The red was blood. The burned chunks were flesh. And the huddled form in the center…

Was the broken and mutilated body of his father, Jack Fenton.

Danny cried out, but his voice was a million miles away. He lurched toward the body, feet dragging in the gore. The smell of death raked his nostrils, but he pushed on. Finally, he turned his father's body over and saw the scorch marks and the gaping hole in his chest, right where his heart should have been.

Danny cried, hot tears pouring down his face, screaming his grief to the heavens. Finally, his eyes found the Ghost Portal.

He saw, and he knew.

Splattered on in, drawn in the blood from his father's heart, was his symbol.

A streaking _D_ with a smaller _P_ inside it.

The symbol of Danny Phantom.

A second look confirmed it. Hidden in the room all around them, untraceable by modern ghost hunting equipment, but traceable to HIM, was a faint trail. A piece of an ecto-signature, one he would know anywhere.

Danny's eyes stopped giving tears as they suddenly began to glow a luminescent green. A single name escaped his lips like a hiss.

"Plasmius…"

Rising to his feet, a ring of light appeared around his waist. It split in two, one ring going up, the other down. Both rings traveled across his body, altering everything they touched. Flesh and blood surged with ectoplasm and power. Shirt, jeans, and shoes became a black jumpsuit with white gloves, boots, belt, and collar. The symbol was ablaze across the chest like a white bird against a black sky. A white glow, like an aura, surrounded him. This aura bristled with anger, shining so bright, it light up the room.

The skin on the face became more tan. The raven black hair turned a stark white. The eyes remained the neon green they had been before the startling transformation.

This was Danny Phantom. Hero, protector.

But those were not his thoughts at the moment. His thoughts were red with rage and a need for revenge, red as his father's blood.

The name hit the air again, this time in the form of a roar of unbridled anger. Danny floated into the air, fists clenched hard enough to crush steel, and screamed the name, his barbaric call of raw fury shaking the whole house.

"_**Plasmius!"**_

* * *

><p><em>Well, I DID warn you. TWICE.<em>

_Real quick, Season Three didn't happen, save for the fights against Nocturne and Undergrowth, meaning Danny did get ice powers. Wulf and Dani (still a bit unstable) are still out there, but at this point, I'm not sure they will make an appearance in this story, despite the fact that I like them. _

_A note to the people asking 'Why all the exposition?'  
><em>_The answer is simple. I'm doing it because I can, because writers can't assume that the reader know what they're talking about all the time. I wrote those to provide explanations in the hope that anyone, be they fans of Danny or the OTHER part of the crossover, can understand and enjoy._

_Frankly, this is a solid chance for me to try a slightly different style than my usual. This story is different than anything I've ever attempted before. Darker at various points than anything I've fiddled with. It's a grand experiment, one I hope to continue for the near future._


	2. Flight of Fury

_Big brawl here. Pretty obvious, since Danny is madder than he's ever been in his life._

_Now, tell me honestly: Do I have to put the disclaimer here again? No seriously, do I? I'm confused._

* * *

><p><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 2  
><span>Flight of Fury<span>

_**Revenge, at first though sweet,  
><strong>__**Bitter ere long back on itself recoils  
><strong>__**-John Milton, **_**Paradise Lost**

**oOo**

Skulker was a mechanical monstrosity bristling with hidden weapons, a suit of armor hiding the tiny spirit within. He was known as the Greatest Hunter in the Ghost Zone, and for good reason. Only one prey had ever eluded him.

At present, he was conversing with his girlfriend while they flew through the seemingly endless green void of the Ghost Zone. His girlfriend, a flaming-haired musician named Ember, suddenly stopped.

"What?"

"What is THAT?" asked Ember, pointing to a bright light on what passed for a horizon.

A pair of high-tech binoculars popped out of Skulker's forearm, and he took a look.

"Good gravy! It's the whelp!"

"Danny Phantom? What's the dipstick doing here?"

"Don't know. But his face…I've never seen that kind of rage on him before."

"Uh, Skulker. I think he's-"

Before Ember could finish, Danny was zooming past like a bullet, his speed nearing supersonic. The wake from his flight grabbed Skulker and Ember and yanked them along. Skulker immediately activated his suit's jetpack and got them out, although it took some time to accomplish this.

Setting his girlfriend down on one of the pieces of rock that pervaded the Ghost Zone, Ember gave a low whistle.

"I saw him. I saw his face. Someone's got him pretty pissed. And at the speed he was going…should we bow our heads in prayer for whoever-this-is' health?"

"We probably should."

And so they did.

Meanwhile, already a long ways away, Danny's mind was filled with thoughts of Vlad Plasmius.

Vlad Masters had been Jack Fenton's best friend on college. They did everything together, including crush on Maddie. But Vlad's chances were ruined, by both his hand and Jack's. A prototype Ghost Portal had exploded in Vlad's face, scaring him with ectoplasm-enhanced boils. The ecto-acne hospitalized him for years, and the bitterness caused him to push his only friend away, and at the same time, inadvertently ensure that Maddie would not choose him. In that time, he developed ghost powers, just like Danny had with his portal accident. Vlad spent the next twenty years using his powers to amass a fortune and become a multi-billionaire. He also spent that time plotting to kill Jack and woo Maddie.

At a college reunion he hosted at his mansion, Vlad hoped to finally accomplish his dream. Danny had changed that. Vlad found out about Danny's powers and tried to get him to come to his side. Danny refused and forced Plasmius to surrender.

But Vlad wouldn't be denied. Danny had made his obsession list. A half-ghost son to call his own. The two clashed over and over, but neither could truly defeat the other. Vlad couldn't be beaten because of his power and experience, and Danny would not give up and let Vlad win. They clashed in Colorado when Vlad tried unsuccessfully to woo Maddie. They clashed to protect the Fenton Portal, and in an ironic twist, it was Jack, who Vlad believed to be too bungling to win, who handed Plasmius his defeat.

It was Plasmius who released Pariah Dark, the self-proclaimed King of Ghosts, and it was Danny, at great cost to life and limb, who sealed the king away. Plasmius then stole the Ecto-skeleton, the weapon that helped Danny beat the Ghost King, and later forced Danny and Jazz to battle. They tricked him, however, and left him with the Ecto-skeleton to self-destruct. The resurgence of his ecto-acne, this time brought to lethal proportions, brought the two into conflict again when Vlad infected Sam and Tucker to force Danny to help find a cure, which Danny eventually did.

Vlad made his most drastic plan possible with steadily gathered DNA from Danny, creating clones in an effort to create "the perfect half-ghost son." But without Danny's mid-morph DNA, a vital piece of the puzzle, the clones were unstable and incomplete. In fact, they were all mindless drones, save for a younger, female version of Danny, Danielle. After revealing to Danielle that Vlad, her 'father', considered her nothing more than a stepping-stone and a tool, Danielle worked with Danny to defeat Plasmius, then disappeared to parts unknown.

After that battle, Vlad seemed to realize the futility of making Danny join him. From then on, the two were true enemies, clashing several times, mostly concerning Danny stopping Plasmius from killing his father.

This time, Danny failed.

'Three years of memories in three seconds,' Danny mused, 'And it's about to end.'

A large purple football blocked Vlad's portal. Danny charged energy into his outstretched hands. The football broke in half as Danny charged through it and into Vlad's lab, hidden beneath his Wisconsin mansion.

Alarms went off as Danny entered, but he took no notice. He merely felt out for a ghostly presence of appropriate strength, finding it two stories above him. Leaping upward, he phased through the floors before grabbing his target.

Vlad had heard the alarms and leapt out of his armchair, realizing that who it was. The white-haired man summoned black rings to transform him into his ghostly form, a blue-skinned vampiric ghost with all the trappings, including a white tunic and a white cape with red lining.

The white-gloved hands of Danny Phantom grabbed him was the transformation finished, pushing him upward. No intangibility this time. This time, Danny used this foe's body to plow upwards, finally breaking through the roof. Finally, Danny tossed him to the ground. Vlad landed with a crash, several yards from the wall of his castle-like mansion.

Plasmius lifted his head up, shaking cobwebs from his mind. His solid red eyes found his foe and he grinned a fanged smile while smoothing out his horn-like black hair.

"Daniel! To what do I owe this little visit?"

"YOU KNOW WHY I'M HERE!" Danny shouted, his white aura flaring and his most powerful ability nearly entering his words.

Vlad's black-gloved hand tapped his chin in mock thought, then stroked his black goatee. Finally, he snapped his fingers.

"OH! This is about Jack, isn't it? Come now, Daniel. You knew this day would come. Perhaps if you hadn't spurned my offer, I would have been…somewhat merciful. It was actually quite fun, ripping him apart. On a side note, you really shouldn't let your anger cloud your judge-GAK!"

The single second Vlad had his eyes closed during his monologue was enough time for Danny to clear the quarter-mile distance between them and wrap his hand around Vlad's throat, choking off the rest of the condensing speech.

"I'm not angry, Plasmius," said Danny, his voice colder than a glacier, yet burning like the sun with rage at the same time, "I'm PISSED!"

Danny threw Vlad bodily into the trees surrounding his castle. Danny then flew after him, fists ablaze with green energy. A violet beam shot out, but Danny summoned a green shield of energy to block it.

Plasmius rose up over the trees, one hand smoking from the blocked attack.

"Very well, little badger. If it's a fight you want-"

A beam of green whizzed past Plasmius, nicking his ear. Any closer, and his ear wouldn't have been there.

"Oh, it's a fight I want," said Danny, "But it won't be like the last ones."

Vlad retaliated with several beams and discs of energy. Danny twisted around, body literally stretching around the blasts before returning fire. Bolts of green shrieked toward Plasmius, forcing him to dodge. Before Vlad could slip back into an offensive mode, Danny was already right next to him, slamming his energized fist into his opponent's gut. Vlad doubled over, wheezing from the blow. Danny followed up with a hard uppercut, sending Vlad flying.

Vlad tried to correct his course, but Danny was already chasing after him, firing bolt after bolt of ectoplasmic energy. Finally, after getting hit several times, Vlad caught a blast and redirected it back to Danny. Danny dodged, and Vlad was upon him.

Vlad threw punch after punch, but Danny blocked them all, adrenaline speeding his reactions. Finally, Danny retaliated, letting loose a roundhouse that Vlad barely jumped over. Vlad zoomed backward, and Danny flew after him, firing more ecto-energy. Suddenly, Vlad did a full 180, coming back at Danny and slamming into him with a punch.

Danny zoomed toward the ground, but managed to correct himself and land on his feet, momentum causing him to crouch. Taking advantage of this, Danny leapt back into the air. This all happened so fast, it looked like Danny bounced back up.

Taking a deep breath, Danny centered his energy, digging into his reserve for his next attack. With a primal scream, Danny unleashed his most powerful ability: The Ghostly Wail.

Waves of green surged forth, a devastating mixture of ghost and sonic energies that were powerful enough to demolish a building. For that was what the Ghostly Wail was: raw, unrestrained _**power**_. The Wail tore a vast trench into the ground, following the retreating Vlad. He had been on the receiving end of the Wail before, and was in no mood for a repeat performance.

Finally, the Wail stopped, and Vlad turned to look at his opponent.

He wasn't there.

Suddenly, he was right in front of Vlad, aura surging with power. In the split second before the punch connected, Vlad understood. Danny charged up energy for the Wail so it wouldn't drain him so much. This was a tactic he was aware of. But in cutting off the Wail early, Danny took hold of all the stored energy not used, then used it to temporarily increase his speed and strength.

A clever tactic, and Vlad was feeling the results.

Vlad impacted the ground hard, forming a crater. Danny hovered down to the ground, more energy forming in his hands. He unleashed it, firing at the crater. Vlad managed to phase into the ground and pop out of the crater before the attack hit, but the blast demolished the spot.

Vlad stared at Danny in shock, stunned by the viciousness of the ecto-blast.

"Daniel…that was a VERY powerful blast…you're really angry, aren't you?"

"What was your first clue?" asked Danny sarcastically as he charged up another blast.

"Tell me Daniel…are you willing to do it? Are you willing to kill me for what I've done?"

Danny didn't answer. He simply continued to charge the energy. Plasmius charged up his own blast, and the two fired simultaneously.

The two beams of green and violet slammed into each other like charging rams, wresting for ground as the earth around the two ghosts began to crack from the force of the energy colliding.

Finally, the energy exploded, sending them both flying.

It took a minute for them to recover, and when they did, Danny was the first to throw the punch, which Vlad caught. Vlad threw his own, which Danny caught. The two struggled for a moment before Danny brought his foot up, connecting with Vlad's chin. This made Vlad release his grip. Danny used his free hand to deliver another strike to Vlad's gut before grabbing his foe's still-trapped arm and spinning him around to gain momentum. Then Danny let Vlad go, allowing him to plow a mile-long trench in the earth.

Face grim, Danny zoomed after him, intent on finishing things once and for all, even if this battle crossed the entire continental United States.

**oOo**

Maddie cried over a picture of her now late husband. She and Jazz had arrived to what seemed like a roar coming from inside the house. They rushed inside and into the basement, where they found Jack.

The police had already taken the body away for an autopsy, but seemed to think a ghost was involved by the scorch marks. Danny Phantom's ecto-signature was found on the scene, which seemed to state that he was the murderer.

Jazz had stormed up to her room after that, mumbling to herself. Maddie let her go. The pain was still fresh, and everyone mourned in their own way.

That had been about forty-five minutes ago. Maddie was still in the living room, tears still dripping down her face. Jack may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer sometimes, but he was the man she loved. Maddie never once imagined that she would spend a part of her life without him.

Distant booms brought her back to reality. Thinking that it was thunder, she went to double-check the fuse box in the basement in preparation for a storm. As she climbed back up to the kitchen, cloth over her nose to ward off the stink of death, she heard a resounding boom from the living room. She ran toward it and immediately back-pedaled.

Laying in the broken and partially-melted glass of the living room window and smoking rubble from the wall was the Wisconsin Ghost. The vampiric ghost groaned as he sat up, like he had been punched in. Considering the state of his clothes, with scorch marks and tears everywhere, plus nasty looking bruises on his exposed skin, the assumption probably wasn't much of a stretch.

Smoke from a large explosion covered the space where the wall used to be. A figure seemed to be shrouded in the smoke, and for a second, Maddie thought it was Danny. The silhouette seemed like him, but…

"I thought about it," said the smoke-shrouded figure in a voice not unlike her Danny's, "What you asked…"

"And?" asked the vampiric ghost.

The hands of the figure were encased in a green light as it stepped forward.

And there, smoke curling off his form, in a similar bedraggled state to the Wisconsin Ghost, and looking more livid than Maddie had ever seen, was Danny Phantom.

But the most shocking thing was what he said.

"My name is Daniel James Fenton. I am known to more as Danny Phantom. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

"_The Princess Bride_, Daniel? How quaint."

"Shut up and fight, Oh High and Mighty Vlad Masters."

"Gladly," replied the vampiric ghost firing a large beam of energy.

Danny Phantom threw up a shield, put was still pushed out of the building from the force of the blast.

As Maddie crept forward to observe the two clashing ghost, her mind was reeling. Phantom was _her_ Danny? The Wisconsin Ghost was _Vlad Masters_? Was it true? She and Jack had theorized about hybrids between human and ghost when they discovered that ghosts used an ectoplasmic variant of DNA, but they never IMAGINED that such creatures could exist.

Were these two really hybrids of human and ghost? Worse, did she KNOW them?

She slid out a small ecto-gun from the pocket of her HAZMAT and waited, wanting more information, in the hopes that it would take her mind off Jack for a minute. She barely noticed Jazz creep up behind her, an ecto-gun of her own clenched tight in her grip. Jazz wanted to jump in immediately, but a look from her mother warned her off. They needed to wait.

Meanwhile, Danny and Plasmius continued to duke it out, and for the first time in a fight that had crossed miles, they began to really banter.

"So, how does it feel, Plasmius? To know that you've gone from creepy rich guy pining for a married woman to _murderer_?"

"Honestly, Daniel. In acquiring as vast a fortune as mine, you didn't think I wouldn't have to get my hands a bit dirty, did you? These black gloves have seen their fair share of blood. I have no problem with arranging for someone to have an…accident."

"You're a sick man, Vlad."

"And you're _naive_. Did you really think it was always going to be this way? With you playing Superman, stopping ghosts from causing too much damage to the town or killing innocents, and me forever spinning my plans as your Lex Luthor? Did you REALLY think you would always be able to stop me; that the good guy would always win? News flash, Phantom! Life doesn't work that way. And if you still believe that, then you are SUCH a CHILD."

Danny stiffened. Those five words, brought from a fanged mouth, were an exact duplicate of The Darkness. In his flinch, Vlad struck, sending Danny to the ground.

"You thought you could use your powers for good? To be a hero? BAH! Powers like ours only have one use: to TAKE what we want, when we want. The entire world is survival of the fittest, Daniel. Only the strong survive. And there is no one stronger than us hybrids. Human and ghost, with the strengths of both. We can rule this world easily! And you are a fool to believe otherwise. A FOOL! Just like your father."

"Shut up, SHUT UP, **SHUT UP!**" Danny screamed, firing back three powerful beams in quick succession, each striking Vlad and sending him to the ground.

"I CHOSE this life!" shouted Danny, "I _chose_ to be a decent person. To use these powers _responsibly_! I've _seen_ what could happen if power like mine is free to run unchecked, and I swore that I would _never_ let that happen. **NEVER!** And I will NOT let you get away with this. I will see that you **burn** for everyone you've ever hurt, even if I have to _personally escort you to the gates of Hell!_"

Danny dove at Vlad, striking with undisguised rage at any part he could reach. Finally, Plasmius shot Danny off him.

"It's time I teach you the price of being the hero."

Vlad grabbed Danny by the throat and held him steady. His free hand surged with violet energy before Vlad let it loose in a fine beam. The beam rammed into Danny's left eye with surgical precision.

It felt like Danny's eye was on fire. More energy poured down the beam, burning at the eye. Danny screamed in extreme pain, his mind pleading for it to stop.

His powers answered, in the form of a small burst of the Wail, reflexively fired through his scream. It knocked Vlad off Danny, but the damage was done.

Danny slumped to the ground, adrenaline and rage gone, replaced by pain and grief. Finally, his ghost form could no longer hold, and it crumpled under the deluge of fatigue and loss.

As he shifted back into human form, Vlad opened his mouth for his final word, but a scream interrupted him.

"DANNY!"

Whether it was his mother's scream or his sister's, Danny never found out. What he did find out was that his mother, presented with so much information so soon after the trauma of her husband's grim murder, had snapped, slipping into a catatonic stage.

The knowledge that her son, _her son_, was Danny Phantom had hit Maddie's brain like a freight train. Memories of every injury Phantom had ever received, capped by his new attack to his eye, surged forth at once, all tagged by the inescapable fact that his was her _son_. She saw everything, and it all ended with Jack's injuries transposed onto Danny's. It was too much, even for as strong a woman as her.

Vlad had seen Maddie fainting, realizing that she had seen everything and that the knowledge had overwhelmed her. He had screamed his rage to the sky, blaming Danny and swearing that he would pay for this.

Jazz had brought both her brother and her mother inside, tears flowing from her eyes as she did her best to save his. In the end, the eye was still clouded over, a paler blue than before. She wasn't sure if this meant he was blind in that eye or getting blind, but the damage was irreversible. So, after calling an ambulance for her mother, she did the next logical thing, which was to call Sam and Tucker.

Danny found out all this later. At the moment, however, he lay on the pavement, in severe pain as the images of his father's corpse flashed across his mind's eye, accompanied by images of a snarling Vlad Plasmius and, worst of all, The Darkness.

Hot tears hit the shattered pavement, as shattered as the soul the tears shed.

* * *

><p><em>Next time, we shall see the crossover kick into high gear. All this has been prologue. Well, no more prologue.<em>


	3. Grief and the City

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 3  
><span>Grief and the City<span>

Vlad Masters spat fire and brimstone before the assembled people, comprised of Amity Park citizens and Guys in White agents. He decried Danny Phantom, smearing his name and dragging it through the mud. He proclaimed Phantom a ghost who lulled them into a false sense of security before revealing his true colors as a murderer. He put forth a bounty on the ghost's head: two million dollars, be he 'alive' or a puddle of ectoplasm, although preferably the former, for identification purposes.

Once the public was sufficiently stirred up against Phantom, Vlad called for all GIW agents to follow him to Fenton Works, claiming that it would only be a matter of time before the nefarious ghost returned to the scene of his most horrendous crime.

"Jack is dead, and Maddie is in a coma. Who shall be next? Young Jasmine or Daniel? Phantom targeted the Fentons for a reason: they had technology that could bring him serious harm. He needed to cut the weapons off at the source! Come, and let us end his reign of terror before it has a chance to begin!"

Vlad and the agents surrounded Fenton Works quickly, Vlad carrying an ecto-gun of his own. He claimed that it was to help him personally bring vengeance for his dead friend Jack, but really it was just to keep up appearances.

However, they did not find any ghosts, nefarious or otherwise. They did not find any more murders. But they did find more tragedy.

Jazz Fenton was sitting in the still-intact kitchen, crying her eyes out over a picture of her little brother.

"Why, Danny? WHY?"

"Jasmine, what happened?" asked Vlad, "Where's-"

"DANNY'S GONE!"

"What do you mean gone?"

"I mean he couldn't take it! He found dad's body, and he saw mom collapse. He couldn't take it, so he went down to the basement, took an ecto-gun, put it to his head and…"

Jazz broke down into a fresh fit of tears.

"He fell into the Ghost Zone," she managed to squeak, "There isn't even anything to bury…"

Vlad took a step back, stunned. One of the agents decided that there was nothing else to be done here, and directed everyone away.

Soon, only Vlad and Jazz remained. Vlad made sure that all the agents were gone before making his move.

"Jasmine, how is this possible? Last I checked, Danny wanted to slaughter me for-"

Vlad was cut off in an unexpected way. He flinched back, stunned.

Jazz had slapped him. HARD.

"YOU DID THIS! He wanted to kill you, actually _wanted_ to _kill_ you! It went against everything he ever stood for, and it tore him up inside."

"But I-"

"**SHUT UP!** YOU DID THIS! You pushed him too far, too fast, and it killed him! And I swear, if you _ever_ set a single ectoplasmic _toe_ in Amity Park again, I will blast you within an inch of your half-life, and make sure _everyone_ knows what you did before you get sent off to Hell! By my hand, or someone else's. You've hurt this family for the last time, Plasmius, and I swear, there won't be another. NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

Vlad backed off, his mind reeling. Was he responsible? Was Daniel's death his fault? Vlad transformed into Plasmius and flew off, needing to clear his head.

Jazz waited a few minutes after Vlad had left before wiping the tears from her eyes. A smile crossed her face.

"And the Oscar goes to…Jazz Fenton."

**oOo**

Danny was not dead. Well, not completely. He _was_ half-ghost. He flew across the land, a duffel bag clunking against his back from the wind.

As he flew, it all came back to him. Sam and Tucker had arrived at Fenton Works shortly after Maddie had been taken to the hospital. The second Jazz told them what happened, the three of them realized that Vlad would make good on the promise of revenge. As they pondered what to do, Danny came forth with the answer.

Vlad would stop at nothing to fulfill his threat, and he would trample over everyone to do it. So, in order to protect everyone, including himself, Danny Fenton had to die.

The plan came together quickly. Danny Fenton, pushed to his breaking point by the tragedy around him and the trauma of finding his father's mutilated body, committed suicide. His body fell through the Ghost Portal, lost to the Zone. Jazz would play the part of sister in mourning, Sam would shudder and moan every time someone mentioned her deceased boyfriend, and Tucker would convince people not to mention Danny around them.

Danny, for his part, was given a duffel bag with some clothes, a few snacks, some hard cash, and a Fenton Thermos (a ghost catching device), and flew off to the east. The plan was to find a big city, far from Amity Park, where he could blend in and disappear.

Danny was good at disappearing acts.

All the while, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz swore that they would find a way for Danny to return, a way for him to come back safely. Danny didn't share that opinion. Despite what the existence of ghosts proclaimed, there was no coming back from the dead. No, he didn't think he was ever going to see Amity Park again.

He trembled slightly as he remembered the good-byes. Tucker gave him a brotherly hug and bade him good luck, and that he would name one of his programs after his best friend. From a programmer, that was a big honor. Jazz told him to be safe, and not to dwell on things, that all would be well.

And Sam…

"_Danny, I want you to remember something. We WILL see each other again. Promise me that we will."_

"_Sam…"_

"_Danny, please."_

"_Okay. We will."_

"_And I promise we will too. Maybe if we both promise, it'll happen. Stand tall, Danny, and don't give up the good fight."_

_Then she kissed him and whispered something more, for his ears only._

"_I love you, and I always will. I'll be waiting for you."_

Those final words, more than the others, pierced his heart like a dagger. The promise to return was one promise Danny didn't think he could keep.

A tear started to roll down his face. How could things have changed so much in so short a time? His father was dead. His mother was catatonic, and who knows if she would ever be the same. His sister, best friend, and girlfriend were to pretend that he was dead, and he could probably never see them again.

It all hurt so much, and he considered it a miracle that his flight pattern was still straight.

And so, he continued east, trying to lose himself to the winds whipping past. It didn't work. All his pain and sorrow kept whirling around inside him, like windmills in his mind.

**oOo**

He did not know how long he had been flying. The entire trip seemed to blur together. But the skyline before him was unmistakable.

New York City. The Big Apple in person.

"If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere," Danny quoted, "Wonder who said that."

Regardless, it seemed like a perfect place to set up shop.

Slight problem…he needed a place to stay and a job. Both of which were going to be hard to come by. He hadn't even finished high school. Danny supposed he could sleep on a park bench or in a tree until he found something.

Danny flew into the city, turning invisible, just in case. He needn't have worried. Most New Yorkers never looked up. As Danny flew through the city, he marveled at it. So many people and so many buildings in one place. It was amazing.

Danny set down on a building. He could see the Empire State Building in the distance, towering above the city. As Danny looked around, he sighed. The sight in his left eye, the one Plasmius had shot, was blurry. He hoped he didn't go blind in that eye. He had already seen himself in the mirror. That eye was a paler color than the other, in either form.

A headache swelled. Whether it was a side effect of the scarring of the eye or just fatigue, he didn't know, but he supposed he could stand it.

Then, a high-pitched whining screamed in his ears.

"GAH! What is THAT?"

Whatever it was, it was making his headache worse.

"Okay, I think I better pull the plug on this thing."

Danny grabbed his bag and flew off, trying to find the source of the sound. It was like a game of 'warmer-colder'. He just had to fly towards where it became louder, even if it hurt his ears and head more.

Finally, he located the source of the noise. It was a three-story, red-bricked building, probably an old firehouse. Danny didn't waste time with the details. He deposited his bag on the roof as he phased down into the third floor. Spotting a siren-like object on the table, light blaring, he realized that it was the device was the cause. Swooping over, he snatched it and pressed a large white switch. To his relief, the object turned off.

"Finally!" clutching his face over his bad eye and closing both, "That thing was giving me a SPLITTING headache."

After a moment of peace, he heard a small cough. That's when he realized that he wasn't alone in the room. He opened his good eye and saw two men. Both were starting at him in surprise, which was completely understandable, since he had literally popped in out of nowhere.

One was a lanky, middle-aged man with blond, ponytailed hair and glasses. He had the air of a scientist about him. The other was a college-age black man with a crew cut. For some reason, he reminded Danny of Tucker.

Danny stared at them. They stared back. Realizing that the device was still in his free hand, Danny set it back on the table quickly, then tried to break the ice.

"Um, hi."

Silence answered him.

"I'm…going to go now. Sorry about that."

Danny phased back up to the roof, then realized he still had his hand over his eye.

"Stupid."

He shook his head, grabbed his bag, and flew off.

As he flew away, he didn't notice a sign above the main doors of the firehouse. It was square, clearly had the capacity to light up, and depicted a cartoonish white ghost entrapped by a red circle with a bar through it.

**oOo**

Inside the firehouse, the young black man turned to the older man.

"Egon…what was that about?"

"I honestly don't know, Roland. But I'm going to guess it had something to do with the Spectral Proto Capacitor."

"Egon, call it the Ghost Beacon, for Pete's sake. It's easier to say."

"True. Well, back to storage with it. I'm starting to think that it's more trouble than it's worth."

"I came to that conclusion after it lured Achira to possess Kylie."

A ringing noise interrupted their conversation. It was the alarm bell, a leftover from the days when the firehouse was in use by actual firemen.

Roland whipped toward the pole, another leftover, and slid down to the first floor.

"What do we have, Janine?"

"We got a gang of ghosts tearing up Grand Central Station," replied a red-haired woman from behind a desk, "Better get there fast. Sounded pretty bad."

"On it."

A whirr from the corner signaled the arrival of the small elevator in the firehouse and its occupant, a square-jawed young man in a wheelchair. He sped out into the open, whooping in excitement.

"I LOVE THIS JOB! EXTREME Ghostbusters represent!"

"You're the only one who calls us that," said Roland testily, "Now suit up. We don't have time to dilly-dally."

"Who says dilly-dally anymore?" the wheelchair-bound man mumbled.

* * *

><p><em>Yeah, I did! I would have thought it was obvious what I was doing from the title.<em>

_Exposition time: After 'The Real Ghostbusters' cartoon ended, the Ghostbusters idea went into cold storage. Until 1997, when it was revived with a new team. 'Extreme Ghostbusters' was a rarity in that it was a direct sequel to the previous series, as opposed to a re-launch, like they had been doing with other 80's series (coughHe-Mancough). Set several years after the end of the previous series, it depicted Egon Spengler as a college professor of Paranormal Studies. Not exactly a popular class, unfortunately. He mentioned that four students was double what he had last semester. He lived out of the firehouse, keeping the Containment Unit up and running, with only Slimer for company. The original Ghostbusters had gone out of business years ago, and went their separate ways. This changes when ghosts return to New York, which required a new team of Ghostbusters. And thus, the new team was born, recruited out of Egon's class. _

_I chose this team for two reasons: One, their ages are closer to how I'm depicting Danny, which was a major plus. Two, I can count the number of GB/DP crossovers on one hand, and get change. All are of the original team. I'm taking a different approach. Less competition. Heh-heh-heh. I confidently say that I am the first one who is OFFICIALLY doing this._

_For time purposes, I have placed the team's first adventure, and thus the first episode of the series, in what accounts to the spring semester. Thus, the new Ghostbusters have been in operation for about ten months. I will also, regrettably, be altering the entire Ghostbuster timeline, bumping up the years of operation to match more with Danny's timeline. Thus, the Original Ghostbusters were in operation from the late 80s to the mid-90s, and the new team was created in 2008, which is the year this piece starts._

_Most information I use for this story comes either from what I can get from watching the episodes of both 'buster generations online, the movies, or from the Ghostbusters Wikia. Excellent resource. Trust the fans to get it right._

_And before I forget, the quotes? The ones at the start of the previous two chapters? __I won't be able to do it every time, just on parts that have an overarching theme_.


	4. Who You Gonna Call?

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 4  
><span>Who You Gonna Call?<span>

The Ghostbusters. Pioneers in ghost hunting. A name respected across the field of Paranormal Science. Guardians of the gap between life and death.

For whatever reason, call it fate, call it luck, call it karma, call it whatever you will, Drs. Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler were thrown together in life. After being fired from the university they worked at, shortly after a close encounter of a ghostly kind, they decided to go into business as spectral exterminators. Egon's brain led to the development of the Proton Pack, a weapon which could weaken and capture a ghost, the Ghost Trap, which did what its name suggested, and the Containment Unit, which ghosts could be incarcerated in. With the inclusion of Winston Zeddemore, the team was set.

The four of them were active for many years. With the Ghostbusters leading the charge, paranormal science took on more followers, and was soon regarded as a serious endeavor. The government created the Guys in White, and other scientists made breakthroughs in the field.

But it all went back to the Ghostbusters, the pioneers. They gained extreme recognition for their victories against the likes of Gozer the Gozerian, Vigo the Carpathian, Samhain, and even the Boogieman himself. Ghosts of all shapes and sizes were fought, captured, and often studied, and paranormal science flourished.

But time had not been kind to the Ghostbusters. No one knew exactly what happened. Only the four of them, their secretary Janine Melnitz, and their ghostly mascot Slimer knew what happened, and none of them spoke of it. Regardless, Ghostbusters Inc. was no more, and the Ghostbusters themselves went their separate ways. Only Egon remained in New York City, keeping watch over the Containment Unit.

Years later, Egon would accept an offer to teach a small paranormal studies class at a university. Since the Ghostbusters' heyday, the field had dropped off, and the general thought was that either ghosts didn't exist or there were no longer too many around.

But as Egon often said, new people die every day.

A surge of new ghosts, spearheaded by a disease-spreading entity called Achira, hit the city, reigniting the long dormant undercurrent of paranormal activity, with more evolved and powerful permutations then ever before. For the first time in years, New York City was a hub for the supernatural.

And it needed the Ghostbusters.

With little choice and with much prodding from them, Egon recruited the only four students of his spring semester class to be the new Ghostbusters. The equipment was updated, the Ecto-1 was refurbished, and the four were trained both on and off the field.

The Ecto-1, a heavily-modified and almost demented cross between an ambulance and a hearse, screamed through the streets, sirens blaring. Finally, it screeched to a halt at Grand Central Station. A few police officers allowed the car past the cordon, then stepped back to let them do their jobs.

The first one out was the driver, Roland Jackson. He was the mechanic and general field leader. What he said went when it came to busting, and when the equipment or the Ecto-1 needed work, he did the job with zeal.

Opening the back and allowing the ramp to slide down, a brown-haired young man in a wheelchair slipped down the ramp, Proton Pack already strapped on. The most gung-ho of the team, it was ironic that Garrett Miller had been paraplegic since birth. But anyone who knew him knew that this disability never stood in his way. An extreme sports enthusiast, he enjoyed the job more than the others.

Both Garrett and Roland wore the standard flight suits of the job with the Ghostbusters symbol on the upper part of the right arm, a precedent set by the Original Ghostbusters. The other two members of the team did not wear the uniforms, but for different reasons.

A tall Hispanic young man stepped out of the car. With his messy hair, goatee, and slouching frame, Eduardo Rivera looked every inch the slacker he was. Eduardo could count the number of times he truly enjoyed a job on one hand, and get change. Being a Ghostbuster, while having some turn-off moments, was one of those times. Snarky and sarcastic, he was nonetheless a force to be reckoned with when he opened up with his Proton Pack. Wanting to distance himself from his police work-entrenched family, he didn't wear an official uniform, but allowed some standardized gloves, boots, and elbow guards, along with the symbol sew into the arm of his shirt.

The final member of the team had the most eclectic style in her uniform, which was ironic, since Kylie Griffin was a clear Goth. She always wore her black hair in a free-flowing mane, and her make-up was often said to make her look like a vampire. Her uniform consisted of orange torso armor, knee and elbow guards, gloves, and boots, the ensemble necessary due to her slight frame. The symbol of the Ghostbusters could be seen on the right shoulder of the armor. The smallest of the group, she also claimed the largest brains, with a genius-level knowledge of the paranormal. She was often the ground wire for the others, her no-nonsense attitude helping Roland keep the team in line.

Unlike the other three, who wore full-size Proton Packs, her Proton Pistol consisted of a holster for the gun and a power pack, both attached to the belt. Not quite as powerful as its larger cousins, the pistol was nonetheless a powerful force in Kylie's skilled hands. The reason she used this device was because her back was taken up by the Ghost Trap V2, a large disc-like trap created to house the more powerful spirits of the day.

"Okay, people, standard zap and trap," said Roland, "Let's not get crazy. Kylie, what's our PKE?"

Kylie unclipped a second device from their belt, a PKE Meter. A boxy device with a hand grip on one end and two electric prongs on the other, it was an invaluable piece of machinery. It detected psychokinetic energy, or PKE, and worked to not only track a ghost, but display how powerful it was. Kylie, being the paranormal expert, was usually the one who consulted the device.

"I got four guys," replied Kylie in a Brooklyn accent, "Class 5. Wait, the fourth is a six. He's a ways away from the others, but he's a nasty one. Might be time to test Egon's new tweaks to the trap."

"The one where we can open it up several times without anything getting away?" asked Garrett, his voice bearing a similar accent.

"That'd be the one."

"Okay, then we nail the weaker three, then move on to the fourth," said Roland.

The rest of the team nodded and moved out, but Kylie trailed behind. She was having trouble getting a clear reading. Some sort of interference. Nothing major, but it was interesting at least. Shrugging it off for later, she un-holstered her pistol and picked up her pace.

They soon spotted the weaker three circling the now-broken main clock. They had vaguely defined forms, but appeared to be wearing orange suits.

"Former convicts?" Garrett mumbled to Eduardo.

"Then let's send them to jail," said Eduardo, in a clear Latino accent, "Oh geez, that sounded like my brother!"

"On three," said Roland.

All of them simultaneously shouted as they fired.

"THREE!"

Arcs of energy, mainly green with accents of red, surged from the business ends of the Proton Packs. Connected to the main pack by a power cord, the guns themselves, or throwers, fired a continuous stream of positively charged ions that reacted to any ghost energy it came in contact with, weakening and ensnaring it in the beam.

Four streams came out, slamming and wrangling three ghosts. They screeched and scattered, forcing the Ghostbusters to adjust their aim if they wanted to keep the ghosts wrangled.

Stray shots hit several of the lights overhead, casting a twilight-like atmosphere around them. But the team had faced their fair share of threats, so they were not put off by the sudden change in lighting.

"Slippery little devils, aren't they?" said Garrett.

"No more slippery than usual," replied Kylie, "Mine's nearly done."

"I've got a fighter here," said Eduardo, "Kylie, want to slam their heads together?"

"Why not?"

The two arced their lassoed ghosts towards each other. With a resounding thump, the two ghosts slammed into each other, each knocked senseless. The two streams of energy met around the ghosts, merging into a cage of protonic energy that effectively kept the ghosts under wraps.

"These guys are dizzy and ready. Roland, Garrett?"

"Nearly there, nearly there," replied Roland.

"HEADS UP!" shouted Garrett, spinning one wheel to allow a quick dodge.

Roland sidestepped the ghost, who had decided to go on the offensive and charge the two Ghostbusters. He missed by a mile, and Roland gave him a full stream to the back for his trouble. The stream sent him straight into Kylie and Eduardo's cage. Roland's stream added to the power of the cage, and Garrett soon added his own stream as soon as he stopped his spin.

Kylie shifted one hand off her pistol, reaching behind her back for the trap. Deftly tossing the large disc, her hand remained fixed upon the control mechanism, which kept a connection to the trap by a strong wire. With a press of the button, the trap opened three flaps, and a cone of energy erupted from the center. The cone ensnared the ghosts, and the team shut off their streams and let the trap do the work. Two seconds of panicked screams later, and the trap closed with a clank, a small trail of smoke rising from it. A trio of beeps from the control device confirmed a successful capture.

Kylie reeled the trap back in, the other three covering her. The noise from the fight would no doubt have attracted the attention of the fourth and final ghost, and he could be anywhere.

"Ky, what's the word?" asked Eduardo, "It's too quiet here."

"I…can't tell," said Kylie, shaking the PKE Meter, "I picked up a tiny bit of interference before, but it's worse now. I'm having trouble…wait a minute. He's close. REAL close. I can't get much more precise than that."

"Then we do it the old fashioned way," said Roland, "Spread out and keep our eyes open."

"Aye-aye, Captain Jackson," said Garrett, giving a mock salute before putting his hand back on his thrower.

The four separated, keeping each other in their sights while also looking around for anything that said 'ghost'.

"Where are you?" Garrett mumbled.

The answer came with a thump and a scream from behind.

"HERE!"

Before Garrett could react, a meaty hand had swept him aside, knocking him from his wheelchair and into a pillar. He was out like a light.

Roland whirled around, but the ghost was fast, whirling what for a second looked like a wrecking ball. Stars danced across Roland's vision, and he knew no more.

Kylie fired a few shots at the ghost. He was big, dressed similarly to his friends, and wielded a large ball and chain. One shot nailed the ghost in the eye, causing him to screech in pain. The ball came zooming, but a hand yanked Kylie away and behind a ticket counter.

By the time the ghost recovered, the other two Ghostbusters were nowhere to be found.

"Hiding like cowards, eh?" he said, "GOOD! I love the smell of fear in the morning."

Kylie and Eduardo breathed deeply and tried to keep quiet.

"Thanks for the save," Kylie whispered.

"No problem. What was the reading on this guy again?"

"This guy's a high Class 6 to low Class 7," replied Kylie, consulting her PKE meter, "But I'm having trouble getting a clear reading. There's something else here, but I can't tell what the heck it is. PKE wavelengths are consistent with a VERY high-end Class 7, but the energy output is WAY higher. Whatever this is, it's EXTREMELY powerful."

"Okay. How powerful we talking?"

"Have you read the old Ghostbuster files?" asked Kylie putting her PKE meter away.

"Some of them."

"You know about Samhain?"

"Him I know. Sounded like a nasty customer."

"The other guy I'm picking up could go toe to toe with Samhain on Halloween night."

"Kylie, Samhain's the GHOST of HALLOWEEN. He's no pushover, especially on _his_ night."

"I know."

Eduardo paused.

"We're hosed, aren't we?"

"If he turns out to be on chain gang boy's side…probably. Hey, you hear that?"

Eduardo paused, listening.

"I don't hear anything."

"Exactly."

The barrier they had been hiding behind was suddenly ripped away. The ghost stood there menacingly.

"THERE YOU ARE! Are you scared yet?"

Suddenly, out of the darkness, a bolt of green energy soared forth, impacting the side of the ghost's head and causing him to stumble away from the two humans.

A voice echoed out suddenly.

"Let me tell you something, you chain gang reject!"

Another bolt of energy flew from the surrounding darkness, nailing the ghost in the gut.

"I just flew cross-country…"

Another bolt, this time to the arm.

"NONSTOP…"

Another bolt, this one a blue bolt that hit the chain and caused it to ice over.

"After the worst tragedy of my life…"

Another green bolt zoomed forth, hitting the frozen chain and causing it to shatter, rendering the weapon useless.

"I'm tired, I have a major headache, I'm going blind in one eye…"

An orb of energy dropped from above, exploding like a bomb upon contact with the ground next to the ghost.

"And I just want to find some aspirin and lay down for awhile…instead, I have to KICK…"

A blur of motion, black and white blending into grays, rammed into the ghost before coming around for another blow, and another, and another.

"YOUR…SORRY…BUTT!"

The blur was going so fast, it was amazing Kylie and Eduardo could even hear the rant. Finally, the blur vanished back into the darkness, leaving the punch-drunk ghost to shout at nothing, slurring his words

"Where are you? Let me see you so I can fill you with FEAR!"

"Is he for real?" Eduardo whispered to Kylie, "From where I'm standing, chain gang boy is getting his butt kicked…"

At that moment, a figure came out of the shadows, a figure with only a wispy tail for a lower body. Clad in a black jumpsuit with white gloves, collar, and belt, the white-haired figure raised his head and revealed glowing green eyes. His hands were encased in green energy as he spoke.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts."

The figure thrust his hands forward, letting loose a booming wave of green energy that slammed into the dazed ghost like a truck. The ghost was lifted off his feet from the blow. The figure then literally flew forward, clocking his larger foe with an energized uppercut to the chin.

The ghost flew up, then began to fall to the ground, out cold. Kylie reacted reflexively, sliding out the trap and catching the unconscious ghost in the vortex.

As Kylie collected the trap, the white-haired figure touched down, his tail turning into white-booted legs, and his hand massaging his forehead.

"Either of you where I can get an aspirin? I REALLY need one."

Kylie took a small bottle out of her pocket and tossed it to the figure.

"Here."

The figure paused in opening the bottle.

"You keep aspirin in your pocket?"

"I get chronic headaches."

"Ah."

As their rescuer popped a pair of pills into his mouth, Kylie sized him up.

'He doesn't look any older than me…yet he's a ghost. Obviously a good one, like Slimer, since he saved us. Interesting symbol, too. Wait…'

"Uh, I'm not a doctor, but that eye doesn't look very good."

The ghostly young man shut his eyes for a second.

"Doesn't feel as bad as it looks. Old mistake. Don't worry about it. Thanks for the aspirin. I'm going to go lie down, but if you or your boyfriend try to follow me, I won't be nice."

"He's not my-"

"Sure."

The young man then tossed the bottle back to Kylie as he floated up and went through the ceiling.

"WELL," said Eduardo, "That was odd. What to help me with these two Sleeping Beauties?"

Kylie sighed, and off-hand wondered if the original team had ever had to deal with things like this.

* * *

><p><em>Nearly forgot to say that I <em>_don't own the Ghostbusters in ANY variation. Although the movie is one of my favorites…_

_I realize that it's not the originals, but you were warned last chapter. Bear with me._

_As for the originals, while the other three did appear in the series finale (why the show only lasted one season, I'll never know), and Peter Venkman mentioned that he'd like to return to busting, I believe that they still had lives to deal with before anything else came of that idea. Besides, as Egon said, "The torch has been passed."_


	5. The New Recruit

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 5  
><span>The New Recruit<span>

"Fascinating."

"This guy beat up a ghost with his bare hands and all you can say is 'Fascinating'?" said Garrett exasperatedly while holding an icepack to his pounding head.

"Because it is," said Egon.

"A scientist to the core, aren't you Egon?" said Eduardo.

"Wasn't it obvious? Now, this one ghost. The one who came to your aid and who was lured by the…Ghost Beacon. A corporeal being, clearly. Clearly free-roaming, if his rant is anything to go by. Obviously powerful. Maybe Class 7, but I've _never_ seen PKE readings like these."

Egon took another look at the readings Kylie had gleaned before setting the PKE Meter down.

"Yet we have no idea what drove him to do it."

"Well, considering the way he was dressed," began Roland.

"Yeah, guy practically screamed superhero," said Garrett, "All that was missing was the cape."

"Kind of ridiculous looking if you ask me," said Eduardo.

"I _really_ don't think any of us can talk," said Kylie.

Eduardo opened his mouth to argue, then thought about it some more.

"True."

"Back to the real question," said Egon, "Who is he, and what does he want?"

**oOo**

Later that night, Kylie walked through the park. She yanked her long coat closer to ward off the chill of the night, but in truth, she enjoyed most of it. In the soft moonlight above, everything seemed so different.

Kylie felt at home in the darkness. Always had. In the darkness, you could hide from the ills the outside brought to bear.

One of the reasons she became a Goth, and took an interest in the paranormal. Now she _lived_ in a world of paranormal events.

Events like a ghost coming to their aid with no obvious intent. Oh, the others could claim that his ghost thought it was a superhero, but that wasn't what Kylie saw. Superheroes didn't rant about their own ills, or ask for aspirin after a fight. No, there was some other explanation at work, although it probably did have SOME good intentions.

However, Kylie couldn't shake the feeling that there was something different about this ghost. Maybe it had something to do with the way he spoke. There was an obvious echoing quality to his voice, but that wasn't it. She heard pain in his voice. And whatever it was, it was deep. Whoever this ghost was, he was hurting…

Suddenly, she stopped, her eyes falling on something amazing…and stupid.

A young man was sleeping on a park bench. That wasn't what drew her eye, though. It was the fact that he was wearing short sleeves. In late November.

Now, normally Kylie knew to avoid bums, particularly crazy ones that would do something like this. They were often more dangerous than they looked. But, the simple fact of the clean nature of his clothes told Kylie that he wasn't a bum. And since that was the case, there was something going on here, and human decency ruled that she get his guy somewhere warmer.

So, she rushed over and shook him awake. The black-haired young man blearily stared at her until blinking things into focus. Then Kylie railed at him.

"ARE YOU NUTS? It's nearly winter in NEW YORK CITY and you're wearing short sleeves? Explain!"

"I…I just blew into town. I haven't found anywhere to go…"

"You haven't…"

Kylie's brain whirled around like a carousel. Finally, she settled on something.

"Okay then. Come with me, you can bunk at my place until you find somewhere."

"But-"

"No buts! You won't catch me sending away a person in need. Come on. Wait…you're not allergic to cats, are you?"

"No…I like cats…"

"Good, then there will be no problems, but don't bother pulling anything funny. I know karate, I'm a light sleeper, and I keep mace in my room. Name's Kylie Griffin. And you are?"

"Uh…Danny…just Danny."

"Okay, Just Danny. Come on, let's go."

Danny picked up a duffel bag that had previously been hidden in the bush next to the bench.

"Is that it?"

"Yeah," said Danny, "That's it, and it's private, so-"

"Are there any weapons or drugs in there?"

Danny merely cocked his head, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Do you consider a thermos a weapon?" he asked in a light voice.

"Okay then. Hey, is there something wrong with your eye?"

Danny's smile was gone, and he covered his left eye, which was a paler blue than his other eye.

"Old mistake. Happened when I was younger."

Kylie raised her eyebrow, but said nothing. Taking him back to her apartment, she set him up in a spare room. Danny thanked her and bade her good night.

It was only after climbing into bed herself that Kylie realized that she had heard the words 'old mistake' twice that day…

**oOo**

_Danny wept over his father's broken body, hot tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he heard laughter._

_Danny turned, transforming as he did. Plasmius floated before him, laughing maniacally, reveling in the murder he had committed. With an angry roar, Danny launched himself at his foe._

_Again and again, Danny struck, but Plasmius wouldn't stop laughing. The laughter grated on Danny, and he struck harder. He only stopped when he saw blood, the sickening green and red of half-ghosts, staining his gloves._

_Plasmius' laughs petered off, but he still chuckled weakly, blood dripping from his mouth._

"_Well, well, well. Nice work, I really have to say," came a cold voice, "I'm _very_ pleased. And it only took one death to drive you to the edge. Congratulations."_

"_No…no, not you…I'm nothing like-"_

"_Of course you are! You wanted to kill him, and you will never escape that fact. Not unlike something _I_ would do."_

_Danny turned and stared into the cold, blood red eyes of The Darkness._

"_And you're NEVER escape me."_

_Cold laughter, more bone-chilling than from anyone else, even Plasmius, echoed around Danny as he screamed._

Danny shot awake, a cold sweat across his body. His deep, racking breaths slowed as he hugged his knees, trying to recover from what he was sure would be many nightmares to come. And unlike before, Jazz wasn't there to help him through it.

He began to whisper to himself.

"I can never go home…never see Mom, or Jazz, or Tucker, or…Sam. What did I do to deserve this? God, Clockwork, ANYONE who can hear me…help me…where do I go from here? All I need is a sign…"

**oOo**

Danny munched absentmindedly on his waffle, wondering where Kylie was. Suddenly, she entered the kitchen, a bundle in her arms and a cat on her heels.

"What's that?" he asked.

"That's my cat, Pagan."

"No, I mean the thing in your arms."

"Oh, just something from storage. Dad was a packrat, could never throw anything out, even something that hadn't fit him in years."

She unrolled it, revealing the object to be a black trench coat.

"If you're going to wear short sleeves, you might as well have a coat. Take it. My dad gave it to me a while back. Kept meaning to alter it and use it, but now I'm glad I didn't. You need it more than I do. It should fit you."

"Thanks…look, I don't want to impose…"

"Forget it. I don't want to hear it. You're too young to be on the streets anyway. What happened to your parents? If you don't mind me asking-"

"And I do. That's my business. Besides, you're not much older than me, and you're living alone with a cat!"

"Except I'm in college, and I'm pretty sure you aren't. Tell you what. Egon has been talking about getting an extra hand to work around the firehouse. I'll pull some strings, get you some work."

"What kind of work?"

"Depends…"

"Depends on what?"

"On whether or not you believe in ghosts."

Danny raised his eyebrow.

"Yes…and why would that matter?"

**oOo**

'Stupid, stupid, STUPID!' Danny mentally railed at himself, 'How could I not recognize this girl? Now she's brought me to the same ghost hunters who've seen Phantom TWICE.'

But Danny could do nothing except pass through the doors and into the belly of the beast. Walking around the modified ambulance and the college-age black man running a cloth over it, he headed toward a desk outside a barred-off office-like area. Beside the desk, Kylie was already talking to a middle-aged man and woman. The man was the scientist-type from yesterday. The woman had red hair and glasses. Beside them, looking bored, was a Hispanic man a year or two older than Danny.

Danny peered around the room, taking in the details, from the stairs leading up, to the fireman's pole, to the stairs underneath the first set, these leading to a basement. Not even the stains of ectoplasm here and there escaped his notice. Danny's gaze followed the black man as he walked toward the group.

Finally, Kylie and the older man took a look at Danny and stepped down the stairs to the basement, probably to converse without being heard. The other three began to talk. Danny pretended he wasn't listening, but his heightened hearing caught it all.

"He walked in and started shifting his eyes," said the black man, "I only see that look on my younger siblings. It's kind of a guilty look."

"Wrong, Roland," said the Hispanic man, "He was casing the joint, taking in every little detail, like a veteran detective."

"You sure, Eduardo?"

"Dad was a cop. My brother Carlos is a cop. I know what I'm talking about. Guy probably has a sense of paranoia to rival a G-man, and a BS meter sensitive enough to pick up the poo of a fly."

"And that walk," said the woman in an accent similar to Kylie's, "it looks a bit clumsy, but that's just for show. I'll bet his reflexes are faster than a blink. If, say, Eduardo, threw a punch at him, he'd probably block it and send Eduardo onto his back before he even knew what hit him."

"What kind of life did he lead to require that kind of personal protection?" asked Roland.

Danny was impressed, and a bit worried. They seemed to notice more than he thought they would.

Suddenly, Danny felt a chill run down his spine, and he managed to clamp his mouth shut against the blue smoke of his ghost sense. His eyes darted around until he saw it. Floating near the ceiling, probably from just phasing in, was a green blob. Its shape reminded him of a potato, for some reason. It had lanky arms, a wide mouth, and beady eyes. It seemed to burble to itself before noticing Danny staring.

"Uhh, what is that?" asked Danny, drawing attention to the blob. Ordinarily, he would find out personally, but he couldn't exactly transform _now_.

"Oh, you mean Slimer," said the woman, "Slimer, come here and say hello."

The blob, ostensibly named Slimer, floated down and waved at Danny.

"Hello," he said in a high-pitched, child-like voice.

"Uh, ghost?"

"Got it in one," said the woman, "Slimer's a pet/mascot/willing guinea pig. Don't worry, he's completely harmless…unless you talk to Dr. Venkman. Boy does he have stories to tell. Most of them pure bunk, mind you…"

"Slimer would never hurt anyone," said Roland, "Unless you happen to be made of food. The guy can REALLY put it away."

Danny relaxed, and it was then that he realized that he had subconsciously leaned into a martial arts stance. He hoped that the others hadn't noticed.

They had noticed. And each one filed it away, adding it to the list of things to ask questions about.

Finally, Kylie returned with the scientist man, who walked over to Danny and extended his hand.

"My name is Professor Egon Spengler. You must be Danny…I'm sorry, do you have a last name?"

"If you need it for anything, it's Tucker," Danny answered mechanically while shaking the offered hand.

Egon wasn't convinced that was true, but let it slide.

"Tell me, are you familiar with any ectoplasmic theories?"

"I know that ectoplasm is what comprises ghosts, and trace amounts are often left behind when they interact with the physical realm. This ectoplasm, combined with whatever unique energy wavelength a ghost uses, acts like a fingerprint, or a trail of breadcrumbs. Usually, this is called an ecto-signature."

"Impressive. I have to ask, where did you learn this?"

Danny's eyes rolled up and his eyes closed, as if pondering what to say. Finally, he spoke in a quiet voice.

"My parents were…interested in the supernatural. I picked up a lot from them…and no, I won't say anymore…"

Egon paused for a moment, staring at this young man, before coming to a decision.

"It's alright. A man's past is his business, and is his to tell if he wants. You have a painful past. I can see it in your eyes. You won't be judged here. When you're ready to talk, we'll listen."

Danny was silent before answering quietly.

"Thank you."

"Now, as for possible employment. We're not picky here, and considering your…unique situation and clear present knowledge of paranormal science, I think we can try at least a trial run."

"Thank you, sir."

"This is Janine Melnitz, Roland Jackson, and Eduardo Rivera," said Egon, pointing to each in turn, "Now, let's see what if you know your way around a lab."

Danny followed Egon up the stairs. When they were gone, Janine chuckled.

"I think we just found the next Winston Zeddemore."

"Pardon?" said Roland.

"You mean you didn't hear the story? Winston got into this game when he answered a help wanted ad in the paper. He was actually the only applicant, and Peter hired him on the spot. He got into this for a paycheck, but stayed for the job itself. Call me crazy, but I think lightning will strike twice here."

Danny spent the rest of the morning with Egon, proving that he did know his way around a lab. When they broke for lunch, Danny was introduced to Garrett Miller. Afterward, Garrett thought about what he had gleaned from Danny.

'The way he moves…that reflex when that beaker dropped…I've seen it before. He knows how to fight, and well. Color me suspicious.'

At the end of the day, it seemed that Danny had earned a job as a general assistant, a job he intended to keep.

And as for the others, they each had their suspicions. They had gleaned different things, but the one thing they each had in common was with what they ended.

There was a great mystery surrounding Danny.

* * *

><p><em>I realize this is rather slow compared to the last one, but it's important.<em>


	6. Mysteries Deepen

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 6  
><span>Mysteries Deepen<span>

Over the next week, Danny worked and lived in the firehouse. Any job that needed to be done, he did. He helped Roland with the Ecto-1, fielded calls while Janine had lunch, aided Egon in the lab when possible, cleaned around the firehouse, and once, he even cooked.

All the while, Danny was gathering information, mental files on each and every one of his coworkers. He figured out each person's strengths, and how they all fit together. It was a pretty well-oiled operation, actually.

Egon was a scientist to the core, and generally the source of information. He was one of the Original Ghostbusters, and he had the experience needed to guide the team. He developed all the new technology, and was clearly the brains of the outfit. Janine, while also taking incoming calls, kept the whole operation running smoothly, making sure the bills were paid and to-do lists got done. Roland was the field leader, and the go-to guy for the upkeep of the equipment. Eduardo and Garrett were the smooth-talkers, and basically the front-men when it came to dealing with the public. Both were also excellent shots. Kylie carried the traps, and was the best shot on the team. If you wanted precision, she was the one you wanted. She also helped keep the team organized in the field, helping Roland when he needed an extra hand. Janine once commented that she was like the second-in-command.

Even Slimer had a place, besides raiding the fridge. He could act as a scout, go where the others couldn't to gather information. He had occasionally been an important part in a bust, and had even used a Proton Pack a few times. Slimer was also a willing and integral part in testing Egon's theories on ghosts, a resource that Danny's parents had never had, unfortunately.

Danny himself fit in well with everyone, but kept quiet for the most part. Sometimes, they didn't even realize he was there until he decided to speak up. A ghost among the Ghostbusters, as it were. And the one way to get him to completely clam up was to try to get him to talk about his past. The only thing they ever got out of him was that his father wasn't around anymore, but in what way, they never found out.

There were also a few quirks. Kylie noticed that he stiffened whenever Slimer entered the room, but chalked it up to not being used to the spud. It took time for her to get used to him too. Garrett thought differently. He thought there was something else going on, a theory compounded when he saw a trace of blue mist wisp out of Danny's mouth. At first, he had dismissed it as a trick of the light, but the more he thought about it, the weirder it seemed. Another quirk was the fact that he kept getting headaches, but everyone shrugged it off, since Kylie had the same problem. Egon figured that it had something to do with whatever gave him the eye injury. Egon knew it was an injury because the way Danny moved indicated that he wasn't used to it, so it must have been recent. Regardless, they already kept a supply of aspirin around the firehouse, so it was no trouble.

At the end of the week, while Kylie, Roland, Garrett, and Eduardo were having lunch, Kylie let slip an observation she had made. She had noticed a trace of sadness in his voice.

"So it's not just me?" asked Roland.

"You too? I've been around a police station with my dad, rest his soul, enough times to know the sound of pain in a person's voice," said Eduardo, "I overheard a few officers have to break bad news to families. I once asked my dad if it was ever easy, hearing all that sadness. He said no. But I'm off topic. There's just a way about Danny that screams 'sadness and pain'."

"I'm not a sensitive guy, I'll admit that," said Garrett, "But I knew several guys with painful pasts. I can tell when someone's giving me the run-around because of it. It's sort of a feeling I get when they speak. I get that feeling whenever Danny opens his mouth…times ten."

"So what do we do?" asked Roland.

"We do what Egon said on his first day," said Kylie, "Wait for him to be ready to talk, then listen."

"Let's hope he talks soon. Bottling everything up like that…that kind of repression isn't good."

"Says you," said Eduardo, thinking about the brother he could barely talk to anymore.

"Says me AND Freud. I've heard of people being driven insane from too much emotional repression. I really hope that doesn't happen to Danny. He seems like a good guy."

**oOo**

That night, after he was sure Egon and Slimer were asleep, Danny snuck up to the roof, the trench coat from Kylie in his hand.

"Moment of truth…"

His hands hovered over it, ectoplasmic energy slipping from them into the coat. It was a trick he had only tried once before, but that had been a scarf. By draining some of his ectoplasm into the coat, Danny hoped to create something that could morph with him, something he could wear as a human and it would remain with him in ghost form.

Finally, the color bleached away for a few seconds before returning to black. Danny allowed himself a grin. The theory proposed by Clockwork had seemed sound, and it was time for the next step. Slipping the coat on, he triggered his transformation.

To his delight, the coat changed too, becoming a stark white that shimmered when it moved.

"Way cool."

As Danny took to the sky for a night flight, a part of his mind pondered why he had done that. The answer was simple enough. He was starting fresh, so his ghost form should get a visual upgrade. It was only natural for a change, especially after three years of the same suit. He was lucky it was part of his ghost form and grew with him.

Maybe when the weather got warmer, he could make the coat a permanent part of his ghost form, than claim that he lost the trench coat if anyone asked. Or that it was stolen. He couldn't exactly do it now, with the winter coming. They would ask too many questions.

As Danny wheeled through the sky, he pondered about them. He wondered if they remembered the ghost who helped them at Grand Central Station. If he were to appear to them again as Phantom, what would they do? It was clear from Slimer that they more open minds than any other ghost hunters he had met. They knew ghosts had the capacity to be good. But what would they do about him?

Especially if they find out what he nearly did…

Danny pushed those thoughts from his mind, deciding to concentrate on what he knew about them. Eduardo and Garrett seemed like fun guys, and Danny supposed he could make an effort to get to know them better. Roland seemed level-headed and a good listener. Egon too, but his approach was like that of a Vulcan, despite the kind face he put up for Danny upon their first meeting. Janine he didn't know well enough to judge, and he tried to steer clear of Slimer to avoid a mishap with his ghost sense.

Then there was Kylie. Jazz's brains, Sam's style, and a kind heart beneath her prickly exterior. Oh, he wasn't stupid enough to try anything. His heart would always belong to Sam. And besides, a blind man could see the romantic tension between her and Eduardo…

At best, Kylie could act like a surrogate sister more than anything else. That is, if Danny allowed any of them, especially her, to get close. But Danny wasn't sure that would happen. If they got too close, he ran the risk of them finding out, a risk he wasn't prepared to take. Already, they harbored growing suspicions. He knew this, but was unsure how to proceed.

"What do I do?"

**oOo**

"Ghostbusters. What's your spectral problem?"

Danny cradled the phone against his shoulder.

"Uh-huh, a McDonald's on Fifth and East 57th…could you say that again? A giant monster made of MEAT?"

Danny stiffened. It couldn't be. HERE? NOW?

"Yes…yes, we'll send help. It'll be there soon…"

Danny stiffly hung up the phone and hit the big button to summon the others.

"I hope none of you are vegetarians, because a giant meat monster is tearing up Fifth Avenue, over near the intersection with East 57th Street."

"Joy," said Kylie, who wasn't the biggest fan of meat.

As the Ecto-1 barreled out, sirens blaring, Danny slipped toward the basement. At the bottom of the stairs, right beside the door, he triggered his transformation. With luck, and some speed, he would be able to stop the ghost before the team even arrived. Even though it would probably mean lost revenue for the company, Danny couldn't take the chance that this ghost would talk, if it _was _the Lunch Lady.

And he had a funny feeling it was. Forming herself into a giant meat monster was her favorite tactic. Meat was her signature. Danny just hoped that he could get there in time.

**oOo**

"Frozen food section, twelve o'clock," said Eduardo.

"_Frozen_ food?" said Roland quizzically, "I thought we were looking at a meat monster?"

Kylie was the first to see him from the front as he backed up into their street.

"Looks like our mysterious friend beat us to it."

"The coat's new," said Eduardo.

The ghost from Grand Central Station fired more blue beams at something from around the corner. Upon turning the corner, they discovered his target was the meat monster they came to fight, partially frozen by the blue beams. The Ghostbusters piled out of the Ecto-1, but the white-coated ghost was nearly done. With a massive beam of green, he shattered the mostly-frozen monster into a million pieces.

The five of them, four humans and one ghost, crept carefully toward the pile before a gloved hand punched out. Finally, a figure lurched to the surface of the pile of ice shards.

Surprise heaped on surprise as the Ghostbusters stared at the source of the monster, a heavyset old woman in an apron and a hairnet. The woman glared at the white-coated ghost.

"PHANTOM! Oh, when I tell Plasmius…"

"You're not telling him ANYTHING!" shouted the white-haired ghost, pulling out a cylinder. A blue vortex erupted out of the top, impacting the woman ghost and sucking her into the cylinder. Once that was done, the young ghost floated down and spoke.

"You saw NOTHING."

He then disappeared, leaving the Ghostbusters confused.

**oOo**

"Fascinating," said Egon when his protégés finished telling the story, "High intellect and power, use of tools much like our traps, and a secretive nature. I don't think I've ever heard of a ghost quite like him."

"That other ghost called him 'Phantom'," said Eduardo, "The name sounds familiar…"

"I GOT IT!" shouted Garrett, snapping his fingers, "Danny Phantom!"

"Who?" asked Roland.

Garrett rolled over to the computer and started typing. Finally, he showed them a website.

"Danny Phantom. The most famous, or infamous, depending on who you talk to, ghostly resident of Amity Park."

"I've heard of Amity Park," said Egon, "Jack and Maddie Fenton work out of there."

"Other paranormal scientists, I'm guessing," said Roland.

"Oh yes. They had some fascinating ideas, but I haven't heard from them in a while."

"Hang on," said Garrett, "Let me look. Jack Fenton…Oop! Found it! Oh…oh God. Jack's dead."

"WHAT?" said Egon, nudging Garrett to the side and reading the article the search engine had found. Finally, he spoke.

"'Prime suspect in the murder is a ghost known as DANNY PHANTOM.'"

"That can't be right," said Garrett, "I've seen a lot of evidence that states that Phantom doesn't harm humans."

"And if this is the same ghost, then something's screwy," said Kylie, "When we met Phantom, he didn't show any hostility toward us."

"He asked us for an aspirin, for Pete's sake," said Eduardo, "If that isn't a show of non-hostility, I don't know what is."

"Think Phantom might have been framed?" asked Roland.

"I don't see any reason not," said Garrett, "I think Phantom's pretty heroic, just has a lot of crummy stuff happen to him. The town he was in once saw him attack the mayor, but I'm surprised they didn't see right through that. I saw a picture of Phantom holding the guy, but it looked more like the guy was holding Phantom. Just had to look at the picture closer."

"Really? Must not be a smart town," said Eduardo.

"Said mayor was probably possessed at the time, possibly by a ghost who wanted to frame Phantom. I think we ought to ask Phantom a few questions," said Egon.

"Easier said than done," said Kylie, "The PKE meter went nuts when I pointed it at him. He's extremely powerful. If he doesn't want to talk, there isn't much we can do to make him."

The room went silent. Unbeknownst to the Ghostbusters, their new worker was listening, mind racing.

'Can't let them find me…but…they've been so nice…doesn't matter. They'd turn on me if they had the chance. They're ghost HUNTERS…who willingly house a ghost with a bottomless pit for a stomach…maybe they'll…no, they…but still…GAH! I don't know!'

Danny huffed.

"A few more days," he whispered to himself, "I'll use that to find out what they would do if they could talk to Phantom, then go from there. God, can ANYTHING go right?"

**oOo**

Skulker stood beside a fellow ghost, a scientist-type in outlandish black clothing and dark sunglasses. A white mullet completed the bizarre image, but to those who knew, Technus was not someone to laugh at. With a genius intellect and control over technology, he was a force to be reckoned with, despite his squawking voice and habit of ranting out his plans.

Before them, reclining in a chair, was the black-suited form of Vlad Masters.

"So, where's Fright Knight?" asked Skulker, "Everyone else is already back and has reported."

"Fright Knight called his report in ahead, then asked for some time off to take care of an old debt in Europe," replied Vlad, "I told him to watch out for pumpkins. But regardless, there is another who hasn't reported in. The Lunch Lady."

"That old crazy?" asked Technus, "She probably got snagged by those Ghostbusters. She was searching the New York area. She probably ran into them. I still don't see why you're having us searching. Didn't the sister say he was dead?"

"I'm not so sure. He might not have killed himself, and even if he did, who's to say he didn't become a ghost? We're unsure what happens when a half-ghost dies. I already have lines of questioning in the Ghost Zone. If he comes up for air, we'll find him. That leaves the human world."

Vlad drummed his fingers together before coming to a decision.

"Send Spectra and Bertrand to New York for further investigation. Even IF the Ghostbusters face her, I am confident that Spectra will be able to demoralize them enough to keep them from interfering. And with Daniel's obvious mental state, it will be easy for Spectra to defeat him, if he is found."

"And if the Ghostbusters capture them as well?" asked Skulker.

"Then we will have learned our lesson and will give them a wide berth. Now go."

**oOo**

Meanwhile, in a secluded part of the Ghost Zone, in a bizarre clock tower, a pudgy blue ghost in overalls pleaded.

"Please, I must make amends. I MUST repay my debt."

"The debt you see does not exist if he is not aware of it," replied a deep, ageless voice.

"It does to me."

Silence answered the Box Ghost. Finally, a figure came out of the shadows. He exuded an aura of power and wisdom. He wore a purple cloak, purple robes, and purple gloves. Ticking watches adorned his forearms, and a clock with a pendulum was set in his chest. His skin was blue, save for a long black scar over his left eye. As he stared at the Box Ghost with red eyes, he morphed. One moment, he was a man. The next, a child with buckteeth. The next, an old man with withered hands and a long white beard. This process of aging and de-aging continued in a cycle, with him changing forms every minute or so, but sometimes less. Finally, he spoke, his ageless voice unchanging through his transformations.

"Very well. I shall project a portal to the area he is in. Do not leave the island, for he will come to you. And from there, the rest is up to the two of you."

Boxy bowed in head in thanks. The changing ghost lifted up his staff, one which sported a clock at the end, and pointed it a few feet way. A blue portal appeared out of nowhere.

"Now go."

Boxy flew through the portal, which closed behind him. And Clockwork was left alone again.

And yet, he was never entirely alone. For he was the Master of Time, and all the wisdom of the ages were stored in his head.

His was knowledge of the past, present, and all possible futures. Everything that is, was, or _may_ be was at his fingertips. It was his job to steward the flow of time, and thus, his knowledge was infinite and omniscient.

He knew what was to happen next. At least, what was most probable to happen.

As he waved his hand, the gloom of his tower was dispelled, revealing the turning of gears and the swinging of pendulums. With another wave of his hand, screens descended from the inner workings of his realm, his clock tower. Two screens dominated his attention at the moment. They showed two different futures, each equally possible, each concerning Danny Phantom.

It had been a long time since the two of them had first met, but to an ageless being like Clockwork, such distinctions did not matter. He had kept an eye on Danny, helping him down the right path. And while Danny would probably curse him for letting his father die, the tragedy was necessary and unavoidable.

As for the futures before him, they were radically different. One was bright, with Danny in a place he can call home, surrounded by a brotherhood unlike any in existence.

The other future was terrible, and the normally emotionless mask that was Clockwork's face slipped a little. It depicted Danny half-mad with grief and pain, all alone and lashing out at anyone who got too close.

While others would disagree, Clockwork thought this possibility was worse than the one that had spawned what Danny referred to as The Darkness.

The one thing both these futures had in common was a single moment in which either one or the other would come to pass, a lynchpin in time that held the events together.

It was close. _Very_ close.

"Ironic," said Clockwork to himself, "It is one of the weakest specters who will have the greatest influence on which path Danny will take. Forgive me, Danny, for not trying harder to avert your father's death, but despite everything, it was necessary. Not even I could have changed it, even if I wanted to. Sometimes, I am as much a slave to the time stream as you are. Well, that is the past, now. We must concentrate on the future, if it is to be bright."

* * *

><p><em>Considering how Garrett talked about the Original Ghostbusters in the first episode, it made sense to have him make the connection between their ghost and Danny Phantom.<em>

_Speaking of talking, I'd like to bring up a point connected to that Samhain comparison from Chapter 4. _Edokage_ asked just how powerful Danny was if he could apparently take Samhain at his height. _

_Well, Danny's wickedly powerful, make no mistake. Three years of regular combat have made him a powerful force. He EQUALED Plasmius in that last brawl. Sure, you can account for some of the endurance with rage, but that's still a lot._

_And the scariest thing is, he could have killed Plasmius. He was definitely powerful enough and driven enough, but even in his maddened state, there was a part of him that held back._

_Even Danny's not sure exactly how much power he could put into a blow. Limiters, both conscious and unconscious, keep him in check._

_So, yeah, he's got extreme power. But having it and being able to use it is not the same thing. Danny VS Samhain would be a big fight, but even then, Danny has the potential power to send Samhain packing in a head-to-head brawl. But at the same time, he doesn't._

_And that's the dichotomy in this point. Danny Phantom is one of the most powerful ghosts in existence, but his true power has yet to show itself, and if Danny has anything to say about it, it probably never will. He doesn't WANT to think of himself as that powerful, that's part of the reason his dark side is so terrifying. He could, but he won't._

_And THAT is Danny's true strength. To have the potential to keep in stride with gods, but refusing to do so._


	7. Break Me Down

_Since I'm here, I might as well reiterate. I don't own Danny Phantom or the Ghostbusters. Nor do I own _Rocky Balboa_ or the song listed in this chapter._

_Lots of angst in this chapter, so heads up._

* * *

><p><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 7  
><span>Break Me Down<span>

_Armageddon. That was the only word for it. Death and destruction on an unimaginable scale._

_Danny walked through it, stupefied by all the carnage, the scent of death filling his nostrils. Finally, a familiar building loomed large._

_It was the Ghostbusters' Firehouse, in ruins. The Ecto-1 was sticking out of the wall, and blood dripped from the broken glass of the windows. Among the blood, hanging from the broken window by the cord, was a thrower from a Proton Pack. _

_Danny took a step back, and stepped on something squishy. Dreading what it was, he looked down anyway. He had stepped in a large puddle of ectoplasm. A partially melted green arm stuck out of it, leaving no doubt as to what it once was._

"_What did all this?"_

"_You did," said a cold voice._

_Danny didn't have to turn around. He knew who it was, and staring him in the face was actually worse than him gloating where he couldn't be seen._

"_You caused all this, going mad from your self-imposed exile. If you had stayed behind, you might have had your friend's guidance to help you. But now, with them unreachable, you're slipping closer and closer to the brink…"_

_A hand grabbed Danny's shoulder, pushing him to the ground, whereupon his tormentor could be seen._

"_Closer to ME!"_

"_No!"_

"_Face facts, Danny! No matter where you go or what you do, you can't escape me…__**because I **_**am **_**you!**__"_

"_NOOOOO!"_

Danny shot awake, mouth open in a silent scream, cold sweat running down his face. He rubbed his hands across his face. That nightmare had been more vivid than the last ones. They were getting worse.

Danny slunk into the bathroom, trying not to wake Egon or Slimer, and splashed some water on his face to shock the remnants of the nightmare away. When he took a look in the mirror, he flinched.

He looked like a wreck. His face was haggard, and the pale eye shone out like a deformity. Even chalking some of it up to the nightmare, it was clear that he looked a different person.

Deciding that sleep would no longer be an option, Danny crept down the stairs to the second floor, where the kitchen and rec room was. Making himself a cup of hot cocoa, he sat down and turned on the TV, hoping to take his mind off of things and calm his nerves.

Keeping the volume low, he flipped through a few channels before something stopped him.

It was a scene from a movie he recognized. A deep-voiced man was talking to his son.

"_Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will _beat you_ to your knees and keep you there _permanently_ if you let it. You, me, or _nobody_ is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can _get hit_ and keep moving forward; how much you can _take_ and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that __**and that ain't you! You're better than that!**__"_

Danny turned off the TV, unable to watch more. It was as if the speech was being made directly to him.

How many times had he been beaten to the ground and just wanted to stay there? How many times had life thrown him a punch he couldn't dodge?

His ghost fighting had eaten up much of his time. Late nights and lack of sleep were a constant reminder of this. And no matter what he did, there would always be people who screamed that it was all a lie, that Danny Phantom was a menace, that he set up a lot of his fights to make himself look good. Even his own parents had said this sometimes. But he got up in the morning and kept on doing it, because it was his responsibility to do so.

He had always gotten back up, but this time, he might was well still be laying on the ground…

**oOo**

Egon strode down the stairs, eager to get some coffee before the others got there, particularly Janine, since she always came in early.

To his surprise, he found Danny sitting at the table, nursing a mug.

"You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," replied Danny, "Been up since three."

Egon tried to keep a stoic face, but was still stunned, more so when he found several empty hot cocoa packets in the trash while he was throwing a packet of sweeter away.

"All right. That's it."

Egon marched back to the eating area, set his mug of coffee down with an audible clunk, and sat down, his eyes boring into Danny. Danny set down his mug, pretty sure what was coming next.

"I've been patient, but this has gone on long enough," said Egon, his voice steady but somehow thunderous, "You're in a lot of pain, I can see that, but nothing good can come of bottling it up like that. You need to talk to someone. I can tell that something horrible happened to you, and you're afraid to get to close to people, lest it happen again. But if you don't talk to _someone_, you'll go completely insane. Talk to me. What happened?"

Danny was silent for a long time before speaking.

"Professor Spengler…Egon…have you ever had everything you could have wanted…only to have it all ripped away from you?"

Egon's mind brought up a scene that, despite being forgiven for, weighed heavily on his soul. The old gang, the Original Ghostbusters, at the twilight. Their company liquidated, their brotherhood broken. Ray, Winston, Peter, and Janine looking at him with betrayal in their eyes. Him, the man who broke it.

"Yes…"

"My father is dead, my mother is in a coma, and my sister, best friend, and girlfriend have to pretend I'm dead to throw off the trail of the madman who did this. And I faced the madman, and in my anger, nearly crossed a line I swore never to cross."

Danny's hand clenched the table until his knuckles turned white. His eyes misted over at the horrible memories, not all recent.

"My dreams are filled with the laughing face of the madman and something that chills my blood and puts raw fear in my very soul. What I'm talking about is something that could bring entire armies to a halt, or rain ruin upon a city."

"You mean…a disaster of biblical proportions?"

"At least. And I hold the keys. Bottom line, I'm afraid of falling too far, because if I do, if I cross that line…everything burns…"

Danny's mind flashed back to a memory that, try as he might, he could never let rest. The image of a muscular man-no, a monster-with flaming hair pierced his mind like a dagger.

The Darkness…

Before Egon could say anymore, a voice from the stairwell interrupted them.

"Egon? You up?"

It was Janine, arriving to start the day. Danny stood up roughly, mumbled something about going for a walk, then disappeared up the stairs, presumably to get some clothes on.

Egon thumped the table, uncharacteristically angry. It wasn't Janine's fault, he knew, but he had been _so close._ Who knows when Danny would get the courage to continue?

**oOo**

When Danny said walk, he meant flight. Flying always helped clear his head and calm him down.

Not this time.

Danny's mind was a swirl of pain and sadness, the weight of everything threatening to crush his soul.

He never had time to properly mourn his father's death, and his mother's condition was still an unknown. That alone would be backbreaking, but then there was the fact that, in exiling himself, he had cut ties with his support group.

Jazz had always been there to lend an ear and reassure him with sisterly love and cool logic in the face of overwhelming emotional pain. Her skills as a psychologist were sharp, and they had more than once helped Danny lighten the burden of his responsibilities.

Tucker had been his best friend for what felt like forever. He was always there is a joke to lighten the mood, or a scheme, speech, or story to distract from the everyday pressures and help Danny relax. And he would always give his ear to Danny's troubles, never once asking for anything more or less than the truth.

And Sam…it was said that absence made the heart grow fonder, and in his case, his heart ached for her. The silent hours they had shared, looking at the stars, the tender moments, the kisses…

Hers was an independent soul, and a source of comfort for Danny that Jazz and Tucker could never equal. Sam had a way of putting things into perspective in a way Danny could never imagine. It had been she who pushed him to try being a hero and it had been she who helped sustain him through it all. Sam was a constant, more than the other two.

She was something special, and Danny longed for her.

And his nightmares…they were more spot-on now than before. He was immensely powerful, and could easily do many of those things if he let go. Guarding against The Darkness was harder than ever. Danny held back constantly, and a small part of his power had even been held back during his vengeful attack on Plasmius.

And now, without _any way_ to get in touch with his friends and family, lest Plasmius be listening and discover the truth, it felt like he was in a race against himself, what he might do if things got worse.

As Danny flew low against the ground, keeping up invisibility and intangibility so as not to hit anything or be discovered, he heard something. A strange, plunking melody that drew him in. He found the source, a teen around his age listening to a boom box, or something like it. Danny hovered near, and listened as the lyrics rang out.

_A long day alone  
><em>_The emptiness is so real  
><em>_Never having peace of mind  
><em>_Running from what I can't see_

_And there is nowhere left to hide  
><em>_Turn and face these empty eyes  
><em>_All alone, heart untold,  
><em>_Trying to find_

_Break me down!  
><em>_Replace this fear inside!  
><em>_Take this nothingness from me!  
><em>_I want to fight!  
><em>_I want to shine!  
><em>_I want to rise!  
><em>_Break me down…_

Danny found himself in shock. It was as if the song had been written for him. The lyrics described exactly what he was feeling now. He felt all alone, his mind in turmoil, running not only from Plasmius, but the ever-looming specter of The Darkness. From the latter, there was indeed nowhere to hide, despite what he tried to tell himself, since the source of the distress was within his own mind. And all he wanted to was to be free of it all, to go back to the way things were.

_I try to find myself  
><em>_I find the stranger trapped inside  
><em>_And I'll take one more step away  
><em>_From the face I used to recognize_

It was ironic, because when he had woken up, he didn't recognize himself for a moment. It was like he was walking further and further away from the person he had been before his father died and this whole thing started. And still the song continued, the metal tune piercing Danny to his core.

_Familiar shadows closing in  
><em>_Suffocating fear descends  
><em>_You killed a life, uncovered eyes  
><em>_Trying to find_

_Break me down!  
><em>_Replace this fear inside!  
><em>_Take this nothingness from me!  
><em>_I want to fight!  
><em>_I want to shine!  
><em>_I want to rise!  
><em>_Break me down!_

_Replace this fear inside!  
><em>_Take this nothingness from me!  
><em>_I want to fight!  
><em>_I want to shine!  
><em>_I want to rise!  
><em>_Break me down…_

As the song reached an instrumental, Danny settled his still-invisible form against the wall. It was so extraordinary. A single song had highlighted the turmoil in his mind perfectly.

_Break me down!_

_I want to fight…  
><em>_I want to shine…  
><em>_I want to rise…  
><em>_Break me down!_

_I want to fight!  
><em>_I want to shine!  
><em>_I want to rise!  
><em>_Break me down!_

_I want to fight!  
><em>_I want to shine!  
><em>_I want to rise!  
><em>_Break me down!_

The teen beside him clicked off the boom box, sighing.

"Gotta love that alternative rock. And you wouldn't know these guys were a Christian rock group."

Danny kicked into the air. Would the ironies never cease? A Christian rock group! Now, he had nothing against religion, but being brought up by scientists didn't leave much room for it, even if they were paranormal scientists. Sam had learned that pretty early on, and stopped talking about some of the tales from her Jewish equivalent of Sunday School. There wasn't anything wrong with them, mind you. Danny liked the one about the golem. But some of the things there, he just didn't get.

Now a Christian rock group, one that drew inspiration from their faith, as was the norm for the genre, had given him something to chew on, something that struck a chord with his soul.

Could he break through the fog? Could he shine again? Could he rise up from the depths of his despair?

Maybe not alone. The point of religion was to be a part of something bigger than the individual, to believe in something higher. To believe that there was a force at work, and having faith would lift you out of any hole, no matter how deep.

But since he didn't understand and probably never will, he wouldn't turn to religion. He would go back to the firehouse and tell them his problems. They could help him.

He had to believe that. It was the only chance he had.

Then his ghost sense went off…

* * *

><p><em>Aside from the speech from <em>'Rocky Balboa'_ (great movie), I'd like to give a big round of applause to Christian rock group Red. They wrote the song, which I stumbled onto quite by accident. Actually, it was part of a Danny Phantom video on Youtube, with scenes of 'The Ultimate Enemy' set to the song. The song worked so well, I decided to use it here._

_Here's a link, delete the spaces: _.com/ watch? v=gq HRcGB UvzA

_Works pretty well, wouldn't you say?_


	8. Misery

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 8  
><span>Misery<span>

Danny peered around, trying to get a bead on the ghost. Reaching out with his power, he finally found something. He chuckled weakly. He recognized that ecto-signature. How could he not? It was—

"BEWARE! For I am the BOX GHOST!"

"I know who you are, Boxy. We've done this dance for three years, and frankly, I don't have time for it right now. I'll let the Ghostbusters handle you…"

"But I have to talk to you!"

Danny, who was starting to fly away, stopped dead in mid-air. He whipped his head around, confused.

"You want to _**talk**_?"

"YEAH! I've been looking for you all night!"

"Boxy, it's nearly nine…in the morning…"

"Yeah, I know it's not night anymore. So?"

Danny stared at the blue specter, still in a state of shock. Finally, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Look, can we do this later? I have a previous engagement."

Danny floated off, but Box Ghost followed him.

"I'm not going to stop until we talk!"

"Noted…"

"I'm serious! I need to talk to you. It's REALLY important."

"But I have something more important to do…"

"What could be more important than the super-serious nature of what I, THE BOX GHOST, have to-"

"HOW DOES THE POSSIBLE CURE FOR SOUL-CRUSHING ANGST SOUND?" shouted Danny, whirling around and getting in the Box Ghost's face.

Boxy paused, then spoke.

"I can wait…"

"Good…"

"But I'm coming with you."

"Great…just keep out of sight."

The Box Ghost floated after Danny, continuing onward to the firehouse. Suddenly, Danny ground to a stop, his ghost sense flowing out.

"That doesn't feel like Slimer…"

"What's a Slimer?" asked Boxy, but Danny ignored him.

"Feels like…oh, great. Just what I need. HER!"

**oOo**

Everyone gathered on the first floor, eyes darting to and fro. The younger members had Proton Packs ready, as did Egon. Janine clutched a particle thrower herself, the pack it was attached to laying on her desk.

Roland calmly inserted a fresh canister into his thrower. Unlike the first Proton Packs, the new models used by the current team used charges contained within the backpack. It wasn't the most efficient system, but it was necessary to fight the ghosts of the day. This didn't stop Egon from trying to find a way for the old system to work, if only because it could hold a charge for much longer than the canisters.

"That green blob has to be somewhere," said Roland.

"And this time, we aren't hunting Slimer because he ate something special," said Eduardo.

A few glares were shot his way.

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

"He's around here somewhere," said Egon, "Class 5 shape-shifters are good at hiding."

"Understatement of the week," said Kylie.

"I thought the phrase was year," said a red-eyed blob with fangs.

"LIGHT HIM!" shouted Garrett, sending stream the blob's way.

The blob dodged it and the subsequent streams. It had been like this for the past fifteen minutes, with the Ghostbusters only getting a few shots in and the blob dodging the rest.

"You guys aren't that good at this, are you?" asked the blob.

"No, they aren't, Bertrand," came a voice like poisoned honey, and a wraith as black as coal appeared beside the blob.

"Quite the team of misfits. A cripple who can't accept when it's time to step aside and let people with whole bodies take over. A slacker who is trying so desperately to run from the trials of life. A naïve mechanic who thinks he can fix any problem. A Goth girl who can't reach out or admit any feelings. An old scientist, trying to relive his glory days. And a middle-aged woman who's still hopelessly pining for a Vulcan. You're all WEAK!"

The shadow raced around talking to each of them in turn. First, Garrett…

"You are the weakest link, despite your boasting," said the shadow, her sickly sweet voice digging at his eardrums, "One little tip, and you crumple, leaving your teammates to pick up the slack."

The shadow punctuated this by pushing him over. Garrett toppled out of his wheelchair, and the shadow moved on to Egon.

"The scientist always. Logical at all times, even when he does not wish to be. You don't know how to deal with people. Maybe that's why the old Ghostbusters went their separate ways. And now, like an old guilty man, you're trying to rewrite history with these new Ghostbusters. But they, like you, old man, won't last long."

The shadow moved on to Kylie, whispering something in her ear. Kylie dropped to her knees, trying told hold back tears. The same thing happened to Roland and Janine. The shadow was taking them down, one by one, playing on their deepest fears, be it loneliness, their self-image, or whatever. The shadow said anything she could to make them miserable, and with every fallen Ghostbuster, she seemed to grow bigger and more powerful. Finally, the shadow turned to Eduardo.

"Slacker. Never amounting to anything. Always taking the easiest way possible, no matter the consequences. Your brother is right about everything. Your family is ashamed of you. You never learn, do you?"

However, instead of joining the others, Eduardo gave a small smile.

"Actually, I do. Get some new material, lady. I've heard it all before."

Then he shot her at point-blank range. The shadow hit the wall and groaned. Finally, she peeled herself off and growled at Eduardo.

"I see I'll have to do this more _personally_."

The shadow's hands lit up, green energy flowing from them. But before she could make another move.

"Still playing that game, aren't we Spectra? Pick at their insecurities, telling whatever _**lies**_ you can, and feed on the misery it causes. You're a parasite, you know that?"

The shadow, obviously named Spectra, whirled around and growled at the newcomer.

"Phantom…didn't expect to see you here. I guess Plasmius' suspicions were correct."

"So does he know I'm-"

"No, but after I finish here, I'll tell him. He wasn't going to send anymore forces here, in case the Ghostbusters were too powerful, but I'm sure he'll come _personally_ when he hears about this."

Phantom narrowed his eyes.

"Except he won't hear about this."

"You think you can stop me?"

"You remember the last time we clashed," asked Phantom, cracking his knuckles, "It didn't end well for you."

"True, but I can _feel_ the misery inside you. Misery I can **feed on!**"

Spectra flew forward, but Danny leaned back under her charge and kicked his feet out, sending Spectra through the ceiling.

"Everything she's been saying is a lie! Shock them out and they'll be fine!" Phantom shouted to Eduardo as he flew up.

"How am I supposed to-"

A splash and a yelp from behind him caused Eduardo to whirl around. A heavyset blue man in overalls floated there, hands clenched around two glasses of water as Roland and Egon, dripping wet, looked around blearily.

"Cold water seems to work fine," said the floating man.

At that moment, Bertrand struck, attempting to attack Egon. The floating man reacted a half a second faster, barreling into Bertrand and shoving him against the wall.

"BEWARE! For the Box Ghost shall not let the injustice of Plasmius go un-avenged!"

Bertrand transformed into a bear and struck, knocking the Box Ghost to the ground.

"You think YOU can help them? You're nowhere NEAR my league!"

The Box Ghost growled, and felt a strange energy seep into his hands. Bertrand gave a questioning growl before being blasted off. The Box Ghost stared at his hands before grinning.

"HA-HA! Finally, I, THE BOX GHOST, have gained the power to shoot ecto-energy. AT LAST! Now you will TREMBLE before my corrugated cardboard might!"

"Actually, that's not very scary," Eduardo interjected, who had finished reviving Kylie and Garrett.

The Box Ghost was silent before pointing at the young man.

"I'll talk to YOU later."

"Less talking, more BLASTING!" shouted Garrett, "Light that blob!"

Five proton streams and one large, box-shaped mass of energy slammed into Bertrand, knocking him into a wall. But the shape-shifter was nothing if not versatile. He slid around the next volley and struck, sending the Box Ghost to the ground. He phased through reflexively, falling into the basement and into an old box, which for some reason had been left open.

Boxy groaned and stood back up.

"What did I land on?"

He peered around at the objects that broke his fall and grinned.

Meanwhile, Bertrand had turned into a large snake and had Janine trapped in his coils. The Ghostbusters lowered their throwers, unwilling to take the chance of hurting her.

"That's right. Put those away and we can—WHAT?"

A vortex had appeared from behind, tearing him from Janine and sucking him in. He screamed once before two small doors snapped shut and a beep echoed around the room.

"BEHOLD THE POWER OF BOXES" shouted the Box Ghost, yanking the old, box-shaped Ghost Trap toward him and waving it around, "Now to help Phantom…"

**oOo**

"Your little plan is doomed to failure. Your friends are too weak to hold Amity Park on their own, and they will fail and _die_! The city will fall, and the blood of everyone will be on your hands. So much blood, because you weren't there to save them."

"NO!" shouted Danny, "They can do it! Valerie alone has enough firepower to send most ghosts packing, and Sam, Tucker, and Jazz will back her up. The city _will_ survive. I have faith in that."

"Well, what about you? Will you survive? You're alone, all alone! You can't take the pressure of it all. Your family is shattered, you've left your friends behind, and the woman you love can't wipe your tears away. Face it, Danny. There is no one you can turn to, no one to help you. You're **alone!**"

This had been going on for awhile. Danny and Spectra continued to go at it atop the roof of the firehouse.

And while Danny didn't want to admit it, Spectra was getting to him. She was pushing all the right buttons. It didn't help that Danny was fighting off depression, fighting a misery-parasite while his mind was in turmoil. The more Danny fought, the worse it got. He just wanted to curl up in a ball until it all went away, but he knew he couldn't do that.

As the battled continued, Danny's blows got sloppier as Spectra's words continued.

"All that power, and you can't defeat a ghost like me? I'm surprised. I'd have thought you would want to hold back, so you don't, you know, blow up a building?"

That was the last straw. The look on Danny's face told Spectra that she had an opening.

"The power's the problem, isn't it? You're afraid of it, what might happen if you lost it? Wow, going into exile was a worse idea than you thought. Now your friends and family can't even warn you when you're getting too close to the brink."

Spectra struck, claws slicing across Danny's chest.

"You can't even **fight back!**"

The more Spectra talked, the harder Danny found it to concentrate. He could barely form a decent ecto-blast anymore. Finally, Spectra had him pinned.

"You're a failure, Danny," she whispered, her hand at his neck, "You're too afraid of your power to do _anything_. You can't save these Ghostbusters, you can't save Amity Park, and you couldn't save your father. You didn't even have the guts to avenge him. No, you even failed to make Plasmius pay for what he did. You've failed your own father, and right now, he's looking down on you with **shame.**"

That proved to be a mistake.

Danny's eyes, closed against the pain of Spectra's words, snapped open glowing brightly. Spectra was nearly blinded by the sudden wave of rage coming off of the young man. Danny's now-energized hand whipped out and grabbed the shadowy ghost by the neck. His vise-like squeeze cut her off guard, causing her to release her own grip on Danny. His other hand glowed white-hot with ecto-energy and began to slam into the sadist's stomach repeatedly, every blow ringing with Danny's rage, against both Spectra for dragging everything to the surface and himself for letting it all happen.

"You can hurt me if you want, beat me and break me if you can, but DON'T…EVER…BRING…MY…FATHER…INTO…"

Danny tossed Spectra into the air.

"_**THIS!"**_

That final word was screeched at Spectra, and waves of raw power poured from Danny's mouth, power that, if used for evil, could tear an entire city asunder.

THE GHOSTLY WAIL.

The Ghostbusters and the Box Ghost arrived on the scene just as Danny was breaking free from Spectra's grip. They saw and heard his declaration, and it brought confusion on them.

Except for the Box Ghost, who only felt a mixture of sadness, pity, and shame.

When Spectra landed, Danny continued to beat her. Tears fell from his face, and ectoplasmic blood stained his gloves, but he didn't process either. All he knew was blind rage, rage at this sadistic b**** who took everything he had been feeling since his father's death, everything that had kept him awake at night, and threw it in his face.

Finally, as his fist was swinging up, a hand caught it. Danny's head spun around and met Kylie's eyes.

"Stop. You won. It's over. You don't have to fight anymore."

Kylie took another look at him before adding something else, a complete shot in the dark, but considering Spectra's MO and the tears on Danny's face, it was a good guess.

"And you don't have to keep it all in."

Danny's eyes kept letting off tears, but this time, he knew it. A soft noise began to escape from his mouth, and he let Kylie lead him away as Eduardo and Roland took care of Spectra, oddly enough with the same old trap Boxy had used earlier.

The rest of the group let the two pass, silently amazed that such an obviously powerful ghost could cry so heart-wrenchingly.

* * *

><p><em>This chapter was hard to write. Spectra's decent for angst, but difficult to write.<em>

_Oh yeah. And Boxy gets to be a hero! Stranger things have happened…_


	9. Revelations and New Beginnings

_More expository here, but it does serve a purpose_

* * *

><p><strong><span>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<span>**

Chapter 9  
><span>Revelations and New Beginnings<span>

Danny only barely registered where Kylie was leading him. The emotional pain was too great. He didn't remember how long they had been walking, and he reflexively did what he was told. She reminded him of Jazz, and of Sam…

He must have fallen asleep, because he woke up in a bed. The covers were up, a glass with some aspirin was at the bedside, he was in human form…

Wait…he was in HUMAN form?

His head turned, and he saw a familiar blue form watching him.

"Oh, you're awake. I'll go tell the others."

"What, no 'BEWARE'?"

"You have nothing to fear. They know."

"You told them?"

"Had to. The girl saw you change."

The Box Ghost phased through the floor without another word.

"Weird," said Danny to himself, "Usually, you can't shut him up."

He was tossing the aspirin into his mouth when the door opened and Egon's head poked into the room.

"We'd…like to see you downstairs…when you're ready, of course."

Danny swallowed the aspirin and contemplated running right then and there. That thought lasted all of two seconds.

"Okay."

"Oh, and Danny? There's nothing to fear here."

Danny only nodded, but only half of him believed it. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before carefully walking downstairs to the rec room.

"I still can't believe it," Roland was saying, "Part human, part ghost…"

"Half if you want to get technical," said Danny, announcing his presence.

Danny walked into the room and sat down, taking a deep breath.

"Still, halfway between alive and dead," said Eduardo, "That should be impossible."

Danny laughed hollowly.

"Impossible? Come on! We fight ghosts and goblins. We walk where regular science fears to tread. We LIVE in a world of impossible."

Danny let them digest that before speaking again.

"So…what do you want to know?"

"Just start at the beginning. The…Box Ghost?"

"Boxy's fine, if it's too much of a mouthful," replied the ghost.

"Well, he told us some basics," continued Garrett, "How you got your powers from a lab accident and used them to protect the town as Danny Phantom, and about how you clashed with another hybrid, some guy called Plasmius. He didn't say anything else, just floated back upstairs and kept an eye on you."

"Well, if we're starting from the top…Professor, do you know Jack and Maddie Fenton?"

"I know _of_ them," replied Egon, "I've read their theories. Pretty good, considering it all comes from observations from afar. And the theories behind ghost portals…fascinating."

"Well, they tried to make an artificial one in college. That's where Plasmius came from. I got hit with a larger one, years later. For starters, my real name is Daniel Fenton. I'm their son…or at least I _was_. Technically, I'm supposed to be dead."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Kylie.

"For starters, it wasn't because of the portal accident, although in theory, I suppose it _half_-killed me. It's because of Plasmius. See, he blamed Dad for the accident, and while it gave him great power, it also caused him to miss out on a lot of things in life. He spent the next twenty years planning, stewing in revenge. His main goals three: kill Dad, woo and marry Mom (who he had had a huge crush in since college), and become the owner of the Green Bay Packers, but that last one isn't important here. When he found me, he tried to get me to his side, the only other hybrid in existence. I refused, because he was an evil fruit loop."

"Fruit loop, that's an interesting term," Garrett mumbled.

"I clashed with him a lot, while also protecting my town from any malevolent ghosts that attacked it. I didn't do it alone, though. My sister Jazz found out early on. She's not a good shot with the weaponry, but she's an ace psychologist. She helped me deal with things when it all threatened to crush me, helping me work through everything. Tucker, my best friend, he took a more active role. A couple times, I couldn't have won without him, and he was always ready with a joke to lighten things up, or an ear to listen with.

"And then there was Sam. Like Tucker, she was there the day of the accident, and she fought beside me when she could. She pushed me to use my powers to do the right thing, and she helped me all along that road, in ways Jazz and Tucker couldn't, even with their skills."

Danny hung his head, sighing. Janine saw the signs.

"She's very special to you, isn't she?"

"I love her…"

Silence pervaded the room, save for Slimer mumbling in pity and blowing his nose loudly.

"What happened?" Eduardo asked shakily.

"Three years of ghost fighting and stopping Plasmius amounted to _nothing_, that's what!" Danny shouted, suddenly vehement, despite the tears beginning to form in his eyes, "Plasmius broke in, killed and mutilated my dad, and left a trail of breadcrumbs that said Danny Phantom was the murderer. But I saw through it and attacked Plasmius with everything I had. I wanted to kill him…for the first time in my life, I _wanted_ to _kill_!"

Danny pointed at his left eye, the pale, half-blind eye.

"I got this for my troubles. And worst of all, Mom saw the last part of the fight, including me changing back to human. After what happened to Dad, it was all too much. I don't even know if she's out of that coma…

"Regardless, Plasmius blamed me for it, and he wasn't going to stop until I was dead. So, I had to die. Or at least, everyone had to think I died. Jazz, Tucker, and Sam helped me fake a suicide, covering all the bases. And I flew as far away from Amity Park as possible. Doesn't help the nightmares though…"

"Nightmares?" asked Roland.

"Ni-mares?" Slimer mimicked.

"What nightmares?" asked Garrett.

"Destruction," Egon answered, recalling the talk from that morning, "What would happen if he lost control, or broke from sanity."

"I've seen what might happen," said Danny, "I've seen my dark side. It's Armageddon. Nothing less than that. And without Sam and Tucker to help the burden, or Jazz to ease emotional pain…I'm still not sure how long that can last…but it's not like I can talk to them. How would it look for a dead man to try to talk to his sister, even if it's a city that knows about ghosts? Plasmius would be on me before I could blink, and I doubt I could get away a second time. So, for all intents and purposes, I'm just another orphan of the world."

Danny's heart clenched. It hit him like a punch from Pariah Dark, the tyrannical former King of Ghosts, to say it out loud. Laying everything bare like that had hurt, for whatever reason.

The reaction was more or less duplicated around the room. Slimer bawled loudly, and the others felt enormous pangs of sympathy.

Egon was the first to speak.

"Can you give us a minute, Danny?"

Danny sat up shakily. The Box Ghost followed him up the stairs. Danny sat on the edge of a bed, taking a few calming breaths. Finally, he spoke.

"So what did you want to talk about, Boxy?"

Boxy slid down against the wall, long in the face.

"It was my fault. Plasmius tricked me into getting everything he needed. Security codes, ectoplasm samples, everything. Everything he needed to get to your dad. Everything he needed to frame you. It's my fault. Plasmius might have pulled the trigger, but I gave him the gun and the bullet he needed to kill your father."

Danny stared at the other ghost. A part of him said he should be angry, that the Box Ghost, of all people, had helped Vlad kill his dad, that the Box Ghost was just as responsible for it all as Vlad was. Danny should have been angry.

But he wasn't.

He walked over to the Box Ghost, who braced himself, expecting a blow or a scream. Instead, he got a soft voice.

"No…it's not your fault. Plasmius is a master manipulator. He knows how to get people to do what he wants them to. You are not to blame."

"Still, I feel terrible about it. I want to make it up to you, somehow. I feel like I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," said Danny, resting a hand on the ghost's shoulder, "Nothing at all."

"There is one more thing…they understand what you are and why you do what you do…you don't have to run…"

Danny was silent, but his mind raced at this bit of information. Was it safe here?

**oOo**

"And as he stopped speaking, his eyes glazed over, as if he were remembering a horrific memory…"

Egon tapered off, letting it sink in. Janine had asked how Egon knew what Danny's nightmares were of, so Egon had told them about the conversation he had had with Danny that morning.

Knowing what they knew now, no one could argue that it was a silly fear.

"All that power, in one guy," said Garrett, "And he's terrified of misusing it."

"Can't blame him," said Eduardo, "That screaming thing alone could bring down buildings if he goes full out with it."

"And he's lost his support group," said Roland, "Without his friends and family to help keep him in check, he's scared that he'll cross some kind of line. He probably would have kept pounding that shadow ghost if Kylie hadn't stopped him."

Silence.

"There's really only one thing to do," said Janine, "We take him in. If he'll have us…"

"Seconded. He needs us," said Kylie, "Even if we can't take the place of his original

family, we can still be there for him."

"I agree," said Garrett, "We're here. We need to show him that he ain't alone. Besides, he'll be great help for tough busts."

"Guy's been though a lot," said Eduardo, "And he's a good guy. Didn't deserve it all. He could use some normalcy. At least as normal as it can get around here. I'm in."

"I don't see why not," said Roland, "He's already a big part of the firehouse. It's time he got a bigger part in this brotherhood."

Slimer nodded vigorously.

"Then we're in agreement," said Egon, "If he wants to, he can stay."

"Like he's gonna say no," mumbled Garrett.

"Slimer, if you could fetch him."

Slimer saluted and zipped off. Finding Danny laying on his bed, Slimer poked him. Danny inhaled sharply and whipped his head toward Slimer.

"Egon want you."

"Okay, I'm coming down."

Danny was about to follow Slimer out the door when he stopped, looking back at the Box Ghost.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll figure something out," said Boxy, "But Ph…Danny. Take if from a guy no one wants around. If you get a place where they accept you, you don't leave. You hold onto it like packing tape on a BOX. If you don't, you'll live to regret it."

Danny nodded once and continued on, surprised that the Box Ghost, the most pathetic and annoying spirit he had ever fought, would be able to share a nugget of wisdom.

'Learn something new every day,' Danny mused.

When Danny arrived back at the rec room, everyone was looking at him expectantly.

"So, what now?" asked Danny.

Egon answered.

"Danny, I just want to know something. Do you want a family?"

"More than anything," came the immediate response.

"Then welcome to ours," said Garrett.

"And we aren't taking no for an answer," said Kylie.

"You're stuck with us," said Roland with smile.

Slimer swooped in and planted a big, slimy kiss on Danny's cheek. Danny promptly used his ice powers to freeze the goo off. Egon's jaw dropped.

"Freezing the slime…why didn't I think of that _years_ ago?"

"Actually," said Danny, "I had to turn the temperature down REALLY low for it to work. Like around negative fifty."

"How the heck did you stand that?" asked Roland.

"The same way I can even USE my ice powers…I can TAKE the cold. Really no other way to explain it."

"Which means the worry I had when I first saw you was probably groundless," said Kylie.

"Pretty much," said Danny with a grin.

Kylie blinked, then snorted.

"I never had a little brother."

"You're not much older than I am, SIS. But I shall endeavor to be the annoying little brother who you love regardless."

Kylie rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same.

"Oh, let's just hug him already!" shouted Eduardo, "I want to get this mushy stuff over with."

So they did, except Danny phased out of their grip three seconds afterward.

"Three second rule," he said, "Besides, I was starting to get squished."

"Oh, you're going to fit in well around here," said Eduardo.

"Now I have to ask something else, as a scientist," said Egon, "Do you have any idea how you didn't get killed by your accident. Completely killed?"

"Way I figured it, ectoplasm bonded to my DNA. Never had the chance to figure out anything more…unless, you want to help solve that puzzle, for the sake of science?"

For a moment, Egon's calculating exterior slipped, and he took on the excitement of a kid in a candy store. Danny looked at the startling transformation with a small hint of dread.

'What have I done?'

**oOo**

In the depths of the Ghost Zone, an ancient ghost smiled.

"Good work, Boxy."

* * *

><p><em>Told you it served a purpose. Now Danny is a Ghostbuster in all but name!<em>

_And even the Box Ghost gets a transformation, albeit a bizarre one. For him at least. Guilt and wisdom. Who knew? I realize that the Box Ghost using shorter sentences like this is pretty much impossible in the context of the show (unless forced), but this isn't the show. I can take creative liberties. I would have thought _that_ was obvious after I offed Jack._


	10. Bonding Part 1

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 10  
><span>Bonding Part 1<span>

_**Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.**_

**_-C. S. Lewis_**

**oOo**

The next week constituted a dry spell, where no calls came in for the Ghostbusters. So, understandably, everyone was itching for action.

The phone rang suddenly, and Roland and Garrett raced for it. Janine reached out for the phone. Suddenly, it disappeared.

"What the-" said Janine, but another voice interrupted her.

"Ghostbusters. Point us to the spooks, and consider them gone," said Danny to the phone pleasantly, "Oh? Okay, calm down, sir, we'll be right there."

"That's my job, you know," said Janine as Danny hung up.

"Sorry, just antsy."

Janine rolled her eyes and hit the alarm. While she didn't think it was fair for him to have used his powers like that, she didn't exactly blame him.

**oOo**

"Okay, sir, just calm down. We'll be careful with your synagogue," said Eduardo before closing the door on the trembling old rabbi.

"That guy looked like he was ready to fall apart," said Garrett, "Pardon the pun, but something must have really spooked him. He couldn't even tell us what we were dealing with."

"And that's different than our usual busts, how?" asked Kylie, fiddling with her PKE Meter, "Okay, I'm getting a reading. It's really power—wait…"

Danny faded back into the visible spectrum, a foot from the PKE Meter.

"Forgot to compensate it for my-"

"I see that now!"

As Kylie fiddled with the meter, Roland asked why Danny stuck to invisibility while they had been talking to the rabbi.

"Well, I'm technically supposed to be in hiding, remember? If I openly help you, and the wrong person sees the right picture or reads the right description, things could get dangerous for all of us. Spectra was a lightweight compared to some of the other ghosts I've fought. Besides, I didn't want to put that rabbi any closer to a heart attack than he already was."

"Okay, fixed," said Kylie, "I'm picking up high Class Fours, and there's a LOT of them. Actually, I'm not sure about the class. Usually, we have to establish an identity on the ghost before-"

"They're surrounding us," said Danny suddenly.

Multiple solider-like ghosts surrounded them, creeping out from the shadows or fading into visibility. The five of them blinked in slight shock, recognizing the manner of dress. It wasn't hard to. Eduardo spoke first.

"I think we can call this established identity."

Danny grinned and charged up some energy.

"I'm going to enjoy this. A LOT."

**oOo**

"Well, Egon, you can add this to the annals of Ghostbuster history," said Eduardo, stepping out of the Ecto-1 with a swagger, "Another standard villain type faced."

"Could you elaborate on that?"

"We fought Nazis," said Danny, returning to visibility and hopping down from his position atop Ecto-1. He returned to human form with a feral grin before continuing.

"Big fun."

"Fun for you!" said Garrett, "You pounded the most! Those guys will definitely think twice before trying to attack a synagogue."

"Even if you didn't get any credit," said Kylie, "You kept invisible the entire time we were talking with those people who called us."

"What can I say? I'm shy," replied Danny.

Egon is silent for a moment before answering.

"I'll put Eduardo's comment in the file supplement. Danny, the Fenton Thermos adaptor for the Containment Unit is ready."

"Good, I have a shipment of bigots to offload," said Danny, giving his thermos a vigorous shake. Muffled curses in German emanated from the device.

"Question," said Roland, "You seemed to take a lot of pleasure in beating those guys. Any reason?"

"Sam's Jewish."

"Ah," went all present.

"She real afraid of the stories, then?" asked Eduardo.

"As much as anyone who had a grandfather from the Holocaust," said Danny, "And I'd watch your mouth about fear."

"Why's that?"

"Kylie told me about the 'Fear Itself' incident. A zombie of you? REALLY? The big bad ghost hunter is afraid of _death_? IRONY!"

There were a few chuckles as the group descended into the basement where the Containment Unit was.

"Oh? And I suppose she told you about her scream fest because of some maggots?"

"Actually, she didn't mention that…"

"HA!" said Eduardo, "Figures Little Ms. Darkness wouldn't admit it."

"Yeah," said Garrett, "At least I'm honest."

"Claustrophobic," Kylie coughed as she emptied her trap into the massive machine.

"She's got you there," said Roland, "We had to practically drag it out of you, Mr. 'I have no fear!'"

"Why don't you go fix the Ecto-1, or your Proton Pack," Garrett snapped back, "You know, in case they BREAK."

Roland twitched, and Danny tried to hold back a laugh as he emptied the thermos.

"Okay, so let me see if I got this: Kylie's afraid of maggots, Garrett's claustrophobic, Roland's afraid of the equipment breaking down, and Eduardo's afraid of death, especially his own. Am I right?"

The looks on their faces were all he needed to know.

"Okay, ghost boy," said Kylie, "What's YOUR fear? What made you afraid of losing control…"

Danny's expression darkened, and a pair of red eyes swam to the surface of this mind. Red eyes filled with a bloodlust that would terrify anyone who gazed too deep. A cruel laugh that sent shivers down his spine, resistance to cold or not.

"Trust me…you're better off not knowing…"

A tense feeling entered the room, until Egon decided to break the ice, something he rarely did, but this was an emergency.

"Slimer's afraid of broccoli. Especially steamed broccoli."

It took a second for Danny to process this. Then, he burst out laughing.

Back upstairs, Janine was laughing too.

"You mean to tell me that manager actually hired you?"

"Guy was probably half-blind, but he seemed happy for the help," replied the Box Ghost, "You're looking at the new worker for the Pandora Storage Company. Mr. Dussel said I was the most organized worker he had ever seen. Course, I've had a lot of practice being organized."

"Given telekinetic control over boxes, I don't doubt it. Think you can help me with some of these old files?"

"Let me at 'em…"

"Quick question, though…why are you still hanging around New York?"

Boxy shrugged.

"Beats me."

**oOo**

A regular pattern of life seemed to evolve. Danny accompanied the Ghostbusters on several busts, becoming a valued member of the team. Since he had to steer clear of any proton streams to avoid painful friendly fire, his preferred tactic was to concentrate on long-range attacks, driving a ghost into proton stream range. But sometimes, when there were multiple ghosts, Danny could sock one or two into the open trap, or concentrate on his own enemies. However, when things got tough, he could get his teammates out of danger, provide aerial cover, or add his ecto-blasts to the weakening of a ghost.

From a domestic viewpoint, Danny still hurt some from what had happened to him, but the others were trying their best to help him. Danny felt relatively confident that he could get through most of this, but still clung to the hope that Plasmius could be defeated so he could at least talk to his loved ones again.

The Box Ghost split his time between the firehouse and his new job. While it wasn't clear exactly why he stuck around, Danny was glad for a familiar face, even if he didn't quite understand why.

The others were happy to have the two aboard, even if Box Ghost didn't do much more than help Janine or Egon. However, two weeks before Christmas, Roland saw Danny and Boxy talking in hushed tones. He found out why weeks later, after coming back from Christmas vacation.

Janine, Eduardo, Garrett, and Roland were each going out of town for the holidays, leaving Egon, Slimer, Danny, Box Ghost, and Kylie to spend Christmas at the firehouse. It was a bit of a surprise when Kylie showed up on Christmas Eve with Pagan in a cat carrier, but there was a reason for this, a reason revealed that night over mugs of hot chocolate.

"So why _are_ you here?" asked Box Ghost.

"Divorced parents, myself living alone. If I can come here, you REALLY think I'm going to spend Christmas in that big apartment by myself?"

"With only the cat for company?" Danny deadpanned, while petting said animal, "Although, I kind of agree with Boxy. Your parents-"

"Can't be within three feet of each other without dueling. Not a pleasant Christmas. No way in heck am I going through ANOTHER one."

"Lousy Christmas history, huh?" asked Danny, an understanding look on his face.

"That sounds resembling!" shouted the Box Ghost.

"Pardon?" asked Kylie.

"I sense a story in this," said Egon.

Slimer guzzled some hot cocoa and bade Danny to continue.

And so, Danny told the story of his own lousy Christmas history, from being peed on by a dog on his first, to fighting off a demon turkey when he was five. Finally, Danny finished with the story of when the Ghost Writer, angry that Danny had accidently destroyed a long-labored-over book, had trapped Danny in a Christmas tale, complete with greeting card-style rhyming. This soon evolved into a nice share session.

"And to this day, I have never been able to look at wrapping paper the same way," Egon finished to the tune of collected winces.

After that, Kylie excused herself to grab some more marshmallows. As she was plunking a few into her mug, she heard a voice behind her.

"Something you want to get off your chest?"

She turned and saw Danny, his blue eyes boring holes into her skull. For a second, she considered lying to him, but he spoke again.

"Don't bother lying. I'd be able to tell. And don't say I wouldn't understand. My mom's in a coma, my dad's dead, and I can't talk to my sister, best friend, or girlfriend because I'm supposed to be dead too. I can understand."

Kylie sighed.

"That story about how my mom got drunk on Christmas and hit me? It's just the tip of the iceberg. Dad often traveled, his job demanded it. That left me with my scumbag mother and my great-grandmother. Grandma Rose was my only real friend. She died awhile back. As for my parents, they divorced when I was twelve. I've barely seen my mom since. She didn't even have the guts to tell Dad to his face until she had the papers in her hand. Whenever she's mentioned, Dad goes pretty stony, and it just gets worse around the holidays. Grandma Rose kept the three of us together out of respect for the holiday, if nothing else. After she died, it was an unspoken agreement between the two of us not to spend anymore holidays together. That's the _real_ reason I was alone for Christmas. Happy?"

Danny was silent for a moment before continuing.

"You don't have to live your life alone, you know. If you'd just let someone in-"

"Whenever I do that, they go away eventually. I don't think I could stand it again. It's easier not to let anyone _too_ close."

"Not even Eduardo?"

Kylie gave him a stink-eye.

"Don't lie to me, sister. I can see there's something there, but neither of you know what."

"And I suppose you do?"

"If I tried to tell you, you'd ignore it."

"Probably."

Danny sighed.

"Not to start spouting Jazz's psychobabble, but shutting yourself from everyone is NEVER healthy. I've seen what loneliness can do to a person. It can twist them, turn them into something pretty ugly, especially when combined with other factors, like regret and rage."

"I'm not an angry person."

"Not on the outside. Look, you've become like a sister to me. I don't want to see you turn out like…"

"Who?"

"Plasmius. He let loneliness and bitter regret twist itself into rage, then lust and delusion. He's a monster, and he doesn't even realize it. I don't want to see that happen to you. Or anyone. Open up."

"How…how bad could it get?"

"If you're asking yourself that, then you're in denial."

A few moments of silence drew out before Kylie spoke.

"I'll…think about it."

"That's all I ask. Now, how about we get back to the others?"

Danny stopped suddenly.

"Do you realize that our positions were just reversed? A few weeks ago, _you_ were the one trying to get _me_ to open up."

"Hardee-har-har."

After a little while, Danny urged Kylie to open her Secret Santa present. Grudgingly, she did. It turned out to be a leather-bound book, a really nice one, black with silver trim on the pages and red picture and words on the cover. Kylie traced the title, feeling the slightly recessed words before reading it out loud.

"_Dracula_. Now how do I know this is from you, Danny?"

"Because I can find Bram Stoker's ghost to sign it?"

"Wait, WHAT?"

Kylie opened the book. Sure enough, there it was, just below the title.

"It's…it's…"

"Bram Stoker's John Hancock?" Box Ghost offered.

"How did you get this?"

"Wasn't easy, let me tell you," said Danny, "But it turns out, Ghost Writer's a friend of Stoker's ghost. I talked to the Writer, and he helped get me the book. Stoker was actually pretty happy to hear that his book did so well. Gave him a lot of stress in life apparently."

"Didn't realize Bram Stoker had become a ghost," Egon said offhandedly.

"He didn't exactly die a happy man."

"How did you even get to the Ghost Zone to get this?" asked Kylie, her voice still squeaking with shock.

"Boxy helped. He has his ways."

"Yes," said Box Ghost, nodding and smiling a devious smile, "Yes I do."

Danny reached over and gave Kylie a small hug.

"Merry Christmas, Kylie."

* * *

><p><em>That 'Fear Itself' incident is actually the title of the episode, and oddly enough, the ghost that featured in it. Just clarifying.<em>


	11. Bonding Part 2

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 11  
><span>Bonding Part 2<span>

New Years Day:

"Come on, Danny," Garrett said, "You need to get out, man!"

Danny glared at the wheelchair athlete and said his next words matter-of-factually.

"Garrett…half of me is a wanted ghost, and the other half is legally dead. I CAN'T 'get out.'"

"So stick to human form, wear a hat and sunglasses, and don't talk much. This is NEW YORK! A GORILLA could walk down the street, and only about five percent of the people would notice."

"You know that's kind of sad, right?"

"You're coming, one way or another!"

"Okay, FINE. But don't expect me to cheer too loudly. Sports really isn't my thing."

"In this case, it ain't the sport. It's the experience. Anyway, me and my team are playing this exhibition match for charity. Should be good."

"Well, I guess I've never seen a wheelchair game."

"GREAT!"

**oOo**

Roland had dropped them off. Danny was now wearing a hat and sunglasses, plus his black trench coat, which he hadn't yet put into his ghost form for whatever reason. As he walked toward the locker room with Garrett, his friend was talking animatedly.

"You are really going to enjoy yourself. I know you're not a sport guy, but I really think you will. Basketball is a lot easier to follow than football."

"Well, that's one thing in favor," replied Danny, "Garrett, I have to ask, how do you do it? You play basketball, you go out for extreme sports, you even fight ghosts! But you honestly can't do some of the things we can. You can't dodge things, you're slow sometimes, and-"

"This is all coming back to the wheelchair, isn't it?" asked Garrett.

"Kind of, yeah."

"If I can be frank, I honestly don't care about the wheelchair. I've been in one all my life, but I never thought that I should let it slow me down. Do I sometimes wish I could walk? Sure I do. But I still won't let myself languish around because I can't. That ain't me. Let me tell you something, Danny. I do extreme sports and basketball because I love the rush. Ghostbusting gives me a rush too, but it's got the added benefit of being my job. I'm an adrenaline junkie, and I know it."

"Why?"

"'Cause life's short! Carpe Diem, man! Seize the day! It ain't about how long we live, it's about how full that life is. And if others say you shouldn't do that because you're paraplegic or _whatever_, you prove them WRONG. That's my philosophy of life. You gotta look fear straight in the eye and say 'Go ahead and try!'"

"That's actually pretty insightful," said Danny, digesting Garrett's words.

"Hey, it looks like I don't got it, but I do."

After Garrett entered the locker room, Danny began to leave to find his seat. As he walked, a weasel-like man brushed past him, heading to the locker rooms. Danny felt his instincts rile against this man. He just seemed suspicious. So, after looking around to make sure no one was watching, Danny turned invisible and followed the man into the other team's locker room.

What he saw and heard shocked him. The other team, which was not completely comprised of paraplegics but were playing in wheelchairs for the game's purposes, had plotted to spike the Gatorade of Garrett's team with hallucinogens and other such drugs. While everyone was freaking out about that team, members of the other team would steal the charity money in the chaos, then quietly slip away. The weasel man had already mixed the drugs in. All that was left to do was let them take effect.

Danny wasn't about to let that happen.

**oOo**

The lights went out before the game could even start. As the fans and players mumbled out their confusion, a loud moaning began to echo around the court. All went silent, save for the moan.

A white figure, its face shrouded, appeared in the center of the court. Garrett recognized it immediately.

'What the heck are you doing, Danny?' he thought angrily.

Danny continued to moan melodramatically as he floated to one end of the court. Suddenly, the moaning stopped and he rapped his knuckles on a cooler of Gatorade.

"Cheaters about!" he moaned loudly.

That got the referee's attention, and he crept over to the cooler.

"Cheating…within!" moaned the ghost.

The referee opened the cooler. A strange smell hit his nostrils. He beckoned over a friend of his, a police officer, and he confirmed that the liquid had some sort of addition.

"Doesn't smell like steroids, though," said the cop.

"Thieves!" Danny shouted suddenly, "Thieves of charity, disguised as bulls, bringing naught but madness upon the sport. CRUSH the thieves!"

Danny swooped over to the other team, whose logo had depicted a bull. He swooped about over their heads, shouting about thieves and madness liquid.

That was enough for everyone. Security detained the other team and tested the Gatorade, finding that it was full of hallucinogens. A little detective work came to the proper conclusion.

But the testing and deduction were done later. Right now, the team was detained for suspicion of cheating, which was enough for the game to be cancelled, to the displeasure of some of the fans.

Garrett wheeled out of the locker room to find Danny leaning against the wall.

"You're not mad that I wrecked your game, are you?" asked Danny.

"Nah," replied Garrett, waving his hand, "You did what you had to. I don't like cheaters. But, since the game was a bust, let me make it up to you. You ever had a _real_ piece of New York pizza, straight from the Big Apple itself?"

"Can't say that I have," replied Danny smiling, "Your treat?"

"Clearly. Let's go."

**oOo**

The next day, Danny came downstairs following an angry scream from Janine.

"Oh, no he didn't! Again?"

"What happened?" asked Danny, virtually the same time as Roland, who had wheeled out from under the Ecto-1.

"McShane happened," said Janine angrily, waving about a piece of mail, "How that self-deluding moron got to be mayor is beyond me!"

"Am I missing something?" asked Danny.

"Mayor McShane," began Roland, putting slight disgust on the first word, "is a skeptic to refuses to admit he's wrong, even when it's staring him in the face. Even though he's had several close encounters with ghosts, he still refuses to believe in them, even going so far as to call us con artists who fake hauntings to line our pockets. The man is so deluded, he even hired an entity called the Piper to make us look bad, then nearly let the city fall apart when he couldn't pay the Piper. Now, the Piper was a real con artist, a ghost who unleashed his own minions, then made people pay him to get rid of them. Even after McShane was forced to ask us for help in getting rid of the Piper, he refused to believe it was ghosts."

"And now the little idiot is trying to shut us down!" shouted Janine, "Well, I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind!"

"I think I better go with you, just so you don't kill him or anything."

As Roland and Janine departed, Danny tapped his chin in thought, then followed them.

It didn't go well. Danny watched as Janine and Roland tried to argue, but McShane was disgustingly immovable in his views, despite all evidence to the contrary. Roland brought up not only the Piper, but a leprechaun who personally put the mayor in danger as evidence that ghosts existed. The mayor still refused to put a stop to his motion, saying that the Ghostbusters cost the city a lot of collateral damage.

"And the ghosts, if left unchecked, could cause magnitudes more!" shouted Janine, nearly spitting fire.

"Forget it," said McShane, "By this time next week, the Ghostbusters will be shut down for good!"

Janine looked ready to leap across the desk and throttle the little man, but Roland pulled her out of the room.

"This ain't over, McShane!" shouted Janine, her accent thickening immensely, "You'll get yours! Guys like you always do!"

McShane simply rolled his eyes.

Roland told Janine to go back to the car before walking off to use the bathroom. As he was washing his hands, a white-cloaked figure materialized behind him.

"I suppose you saw that," said Roland, addressing the reflection before turning to Danny.

"Yeah. Guy needs a serious attitude adjustment."

A devious look suddenly crossed Danny's face.

"And I know just the guy to give it to him…"

"You have a plan?"

"Oh, big time. But I need some help planning out the fine points. What to scare the snot out of this guy?"

Roland thought for a moment before grinning deviously.

"You know, he's earned it. Let's put the screws to McShane."

**oOo**

As McShane perused his collection of books, seeking to read before bed, he thought about the Ghostbusters. While the Piper had been a fiasco, and clearly not their doing, he felt confident that everything else was, even the leprechaun. How they pulled it off was beyond him, but he guessed nerve gas and light shows.

Some of the stuff was pretty elaborate, though. He had to admit that. Still, these kids were no better than Spengler or Venkman in the days of old. How Lenny Clotch could have let them get away with it for so long was a mystery. Then again, McShane didn't have much respect for the former mayor, despite the man's terms as governor of New York.

Halfway through the second page, the lights went out.

"What the-"

McShane shot out of his chair, thanking New York light pollution that he could still see, if only just. Suddenly, several books flew off their shelves and slammed into him. He squealed in surprise and pain before retreating out of the room, several more volumes on his tail. He slammed the door shut behind him, hearing the impact of the books against it.

"What just happened?"

"What do you think, you fool?" answered a creepy voice, "_Ghosts of course_!"

A chill ran down his spine, but he refused to believe it.

"Yeah right. Who are you? Who put you up to this? Leroy from Accounting? My old girlfriend? Are the Ghostbusters behind this?"

"The only thing the Ghostbusters are behind is the seriousness of their job. But the rumors appear to be true. You refuse to believe, even when the truth is staring you in the face."

"I don't think so…"

McShane ran to his room. He kept a shotgun under this bed, for whatever reason. Looking back to see if he was being followed, he threw open the door and charged inside.

Or at least, he tried to charge inside. He couldn't get past the threshold. Slamming into something solid and cold, he fell to the ground, winded. Upon looking to see what had stopped him, utter shock entered his being.

His entire room, wall to wall, was a giant block of ice. Visible in the ice before him was a thermometer. It read room temperature, despite the ice surrounding it.

"But…that's impossible!"

"HA!" laughed the voice, "In the realm beyond the living, _all things_ are possible."

"But…I don't believe in ghosts…this is a trick…"

"It is and it isn't. This block is but a parlor trick compared to what _else_ I can bring to bear."

As McShane stood, a small green object whizzed past this nose. Jerking his head, he saw an amorphous blob of what seemed to be energy. More green blobs of energy joined it, skittering around in the air around him, teasing him by flying so close, he could feel the pulse of power and hear the hum as they flew.

As the blobs continued to bob about like drunken monkeys, noises filled the air. Eerie, unearthly noises that pierced straight through to his bones. A wolf howled, the sound disturbingly close, and McShane decided to run for it. Ghosts or not, things were getting too weird for him. And while he wouldn't admit it, fear was beginning to gnaw at him.

So he ran, leaving the globs behind, but the noises followed, as did the voice.

"Oh, what's the matter? Still too proud to admit you're wrong? Still too _deluded_ to admit that there are things _beyond_ your comprehension?"

"I'm not deluding myself!" McShane countered.

"There it is! Why is it that skeptics like yourself must be driven _batty_ before they admit it?"

On that note, screeching filled the air as a swarm of bats zoomed right toward him. McShane ducked down, and the bats passed inches above his head, close enough to hear the wing beats and smell their fur.

McShane finally made it to the front door, but it refused to open.

"Ah-ah-ah! I'm not done with you yet, McShane," said the voice.

McShane decided that he would have to hide, so he rushed to a room, eager to find somewhere to hunker down until the voice went away.

Throwing open the first door, he came face to face with a spider the size of a bear. It looked at him with eyes black as coal before it clicked its pincers eagerly. A slight hissing noise issued from its mouth, and that was it for McShane. Letting out a scream, he slammed the door shut on the horrid creature and ran to another door.

Opening the next door caused cold wind to buffet him, chilling his very bones. Before him stood a massive snowman, but this wasn't like the snowmen children built. Its arms ended in needle-sharp claws, and its face bore an icy maw of knife-sharp fangs. It looked at him with inhuman eyes before reaching its arms out toward him, a high-pitched and horrible screech escaping its mouth. A harsh, cold wind blew forth, peppering McShane with frost.

The snowman's wooden hands met only door as McShane repeated his previous action and moved to another door.

He spent less time at this one than he did at the last one. After all, suddenly finding yourself face to maw with a shark the size of Jaws has a funny way of spurring you to move quickly. McShane didn't even care HOW it was even possible, he just wanted to put as much space between him and the shark as he was able.

Again, he tried a door. Several creatures glowered and moaned at him, rotting flesh hanging from their forms. The pungent scent of decay slammed into McShane like a fist to the face. The lead zombie lurched toward him, and with a scream, he slammed the door on it.

He tried one more door, and was greeted by manic laughter and the whir of a chainsaw. He took in the faceless whiteness of a hockey mask before he slammed the door shut.

Fear flowed off him, and he hyperventilated. His eyes darted to and fro, trying to find someway to escape.

"Foolish, foolish little man," said the voice, sounding closer than ever, "To think you can deny the existence of ghosts when they crawl out of the woodwork of this city. To think that there is somewhere to hide from us. There is _nowhere_ to hide. We can go anywhere, _anywhere we want_. All you can do is prepare for the worst. Surely, you must realize this? But, _NO_! You simply wrap yourself in delusion, retreat into a shell and try to deny what is staring you in the face!"

McShane backed into something large. He spun around and came face to face with a monster right out of his nightmares.

It was massive, with a hulking body and sharp claws. As intimidating as the body was, the head was downright terrifying. The burning red eyes were sunken, like a skull, and the mouth was a maw of sharp teeth, more horrible than the snowman's had been. Long, tentacle-like hair writhed about like a nest of snakes, trailing and slithering about his body.

Words slid past its teeth in the voice that had been tormenting him the whole time.

"So…**believe in ghosts NOW?**"

And McShane screamed.

He screamed more than he ever had in his life. He ran away from the monster and jumped out the window, adrenaline from his raw fear forcing him to ignore the pain of shattered glass and keep running. He ran and screamed, all the way down the street and beyond. When he had finally stopped screaming, he rested for a moment, then hailed a cab and went further, all the way to the Ghostbusters.

Back at his house, the tentacled monster shifted and grew smaller, his entire form changing. Finally, a dapper-looking ghost floated there. The chainsaw maniac joined him, stripping away his mask and dispelling the illusion to reveal blue skin and overalls. The snowman, his form smoking away like dry ice, slunk up and finally revealed himself to be a ghostly teen in a white trench coat.

"There you are," said the dapper ghost, "Mission accomplished. My illusions do their work well, do they not?"

"I'll say," said the teen, "I could smell the zombies!"

"Pleasure doing business with you, Phantom. Box Ghost."

"Check's in the mail, Vince," replied Box Ghost before the illusionist vanished.

"You know some strange people, Boxy," said Danny.

"He got the job done, didn't he? Despite his price, Vince is GOOD."

Danny suddenly started chuckling.

"What?"

"You just made a pun. It's funny, because that's who our actor reminded me of."

Boxy thought for a second, then slapped his forehead.

"How did I miss that? Even his VOICE sounds like-"

"We can discuss your oversight later. Let's get out of here so Roland can do his part."

The ghosts vacated the premises, and Roland and Garrett arrived a little later with the trembling mayor in tow. The two Ghostbusters swept the area with PKE Meters before making their way back to the mayor, who had stayed in the Ecto-1.

"Well, it's clear now," said Garrett, "All we're getting is residual trails."

"But, they won't be back, will they?" asked McShane.

"I doubt it," said Roland, "The PKE levels combined with your descriptions give us a pretty good picture. The way I see it, all those monsters you saw were part of a traveling group of ghostly pranksters. If they had wanted to hurt you, they would have, but they seemed to settle for scaring your pants off."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. They had their fun, and now they're gone. You don't need to worry about those ghosts…others, however…"

"Others?"

"Mr. Mayor, we fight ghosts on an almost daily basis, when there isn't a dry spell. Many are seriously malevolent, and very dangerous to everyone around them. That's what the Ghostbusters are here for. We catch the dangerous ones and keep them from hurting innocent people, your constituents."

"If we weren't here," added Garrett, "they'd be running wild within the week, and civilian casualties…you probably don't want to think about that too hard."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked McShane, some of his old indigence shining through.

"It means that if these ghosts HAD wanted to hurt you, we probably wouldn't be having his conversation."

That shut the mayor up.

And so the two Ghostbusters left the mayor outside his house, more nervous than he ever had been in his life.

They traveled back to the firehouse, climbed the stairs to the rec room, and clinked mugs of coffee/cocoa with Danny.

"I don't think he's going to bother us again unless there's a ghostly emergency."

"You sure about that, Danny?" asked Garrett.

"Worked in Amity Park."

"Well, you really put the scare on him," said Roland.

"Hey, you thought up so much material, especially the taunts. Now enough about that. I have to ask you two something. Is there something going on between Eduardo and Kylie?"

Roland and Garrett looked at each other for a second. Roland was the first to speak.

"How could you tell?"

"It's obvious that something's there. Eduardo's got this puppy dog look on his face whenever Kylie's not looking. And he seems to act nervous when they're alone together. I've been there. So, something going on?"

"More like something's NOT going on when it probably should be."

"Roland's right," said Garrett, "I swear, the romantic tension between those two is so thick, you'd need a samurai _katana_ to cut it."

"I could probably make one of those out of my ghostly ice. Very tough stuff, ghostly ice. But this intrigues me. I've seen inklings of something between them. Let's compare notes. Tell me more…"

* * *

><p><em>Hard to write, this was.<em>

_A cookie if you can guess who Danny was talking about._


	12. Bonding Part 3

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 12  
><span>Bonding Part 3<span>

The Containment Unit was sealed, and all the filing was packed up. Everything was protected for the coming arrival.

The arrival of the plumbers.

A pipe had burst in the firehouse. Everyone saved what they could, then let the professionals do their jobs. Egon and Slimer went to bunk at Garrett's place for the night. Box Ghost went off to find a warehouse. And Danny decided to go with Eduardo.

Eduardo broached the subject over dinner that night.

"Okay, I'm sorry for springing this on you so suddenly, but a pipe burst at the firehouse…"

"Is Professor Spengler going to be bunking with you?" asked Edaurdo's brother, Carl.

"No, I put my foot down on that," said Eduardo, "Never again. He and Slimer are going to be bunking with Garrett. No, I got Danny."

"Danny?" asked Beth, Carl's wife.

"He's Egon's new assistant, if you want to call it that."

"Is he a Ghostbuster, Uncle Eduardo?" asked young Kevin.

"Yes and no. He's helped us out in the field, but he's not one for publicity. Really shy guy. You probably won't see him at all…unless he sneaks in here for some hot chocolate. He's a sucker for the stuff."

"Bit timid, eh?" asked Carl, "Well, so long as he isn't like that green glob that ate half our fridge."

"You don't have to worry about that. Like I said, you probably won't see him, but I thought I'd let you guys know, just in case."

**oOo**

After dinner, Eduardo offered to wash the dishes. Carl entered the room, and Eduardo felt another snipe coming on.

"Yes, Carlos?"

"For the millionth time, it's Carl," said the older man, mustache twitching with annoyance, "You could have told us earlier."

"The pipe burst at the firehouse this morning, and the plumber said it would be a two day job. Couldn't be helped. Just be glad I got the quiet one."

"As opposed to the other guys…"

"Is this a snipe at my co-workers?"

"The girl's okay, but the black man can't see past his own gear, and the wheelchair boy is irresponsible, mouthy, and full of himself."

"And Garrett could also out-shoot you any day of the week. I thought you weren't going to yammer about my job anymore? Remember the trolls?"

"I don't mind that you like your job. I respect that. I just want to know why you didn't decide to follow Dad into police work like I did."

"Well, it got him killed in the end, didn't it?" said Eduardo, finally turning to face the larger man.

"Don't go there! Dad knew the risks of the job!"

"Then let's not go there. I'm not having this conversation again. I didn't want to be a cop, end of story."

"Fine. But honestly, I'm just trying to avoid another green guy eating half my fridge and scaring my wife half to death."

"You said it yourself. Danny's timid. When it comes to strangers, he prefers to be a wallflower unless there's a reason not to be. But this isn't about Danny, is it? This is about the Ghostbusters…again."

"Actually it is," said Carl, looming over his brother, "Why? Of all things, why that?"

"I pretty much stumbled onto it. But busting ghosts is something I'm good at, and I'm going to keep doing it, even if it leaves a rotten taste in your mouth."

"Why you gotta be like that, Eddie? All I've done is try to help you."

"Did you ever ask if I even wanted help? The way I see it, I should probably be helping you! You're a cop on a power trip who's ashamed of where he came from."

Carl flinched. Eduardo had struck a nerve.

"Yeah, that's right CARL. You hide it every flipping day! Has Kevin even HEARD of Dia De Los Muertos?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," replied Carl, getting his footing back, "But that's not the issue here. You're a glorified exterminator! Dad would be ashamed."

"He'd be more ashamed of you! What's the one thing he always told you? Look out for you little brother. But from where I stand, you haven't really been doing that. You're a bully, Carlos. You just became a cop to channel it toward punks. Too bad you bring that home with you."

Carl raised his fist.

"Okay, wow," said a voice.

Both heads whipped toward the source of the voice, a white-haired and glowing form floating about a foot in the air.

"Geez, Ed. You told me you didn't get along with your brother. You didn't say it was _this_ bad."

"Heave off, Danny," replied Eduardo, "This is between me and him."

"Tell that to the kid who was about to watch his dad wail on his uncle," replied Danny, jerking his thumb toward the door and the vanishing mop of brown hair, "You both are idiots, you know that?"

"What?" said Carl indignantly, "How can you say that? You couldn't have been standing there for long."

"Floating. And I was here long enough."

Danny floated over and opened a cabinet. Smiling, he removed a mug from it and went to the sink.

"All I did was come in here for a mug. Instead, I found two brothers who aren't really brothers. I'm frankly shocked. Where do you keep the-"

"Top cabinet, right of the fridge. Marshmallows are in the bottom one," replied Eduardo mechanically.

"Thanks," said Danny, allowing some ecto-energy to heat the water in his mug, "As I was saying, you're both on trips. Carl's on a power trip, thinks he knows what's best and won't admit that he might be wrong about a few things, or that he might have misjudged. Eddie's got an ego, albeit a small one, but it keeps him from doing the same or listening to what good advice the older brother gives, whenever it is he gives it. And you both have lost the ability to understand each other."

Both men stared at the ghost, who was nonchalantly mixing his cocoa and adding a few tiny marshmallows.

"Live with a psychology buff long enough, you pick up a few things," said Danny, "Back to the matter at hand. You both are in the wrong here, and you'll keep doing so unless you actually _talk._ No snide remarks, no interruptions, maybe a mediator to keep things from going south. The problem can't be that big that you can't talk it out. And you **need** to talk it out. Families are supposed to stick together, help and look after each other. I'm not seeing any of that here."

"It's not that simple, Danny," argued Eduardo.

"Then let me put it this way. I can't talk to my sister, no matter how much I would like to. You live next door to your brother, but the way you two go at it, you might as well live four states away."

Danny then left the room, slurping some of his cocoa as he floated off. Beth, who had been about to intervene when Danny had walked in, poked her head in.

"As they say on the streets, you two just got served."

**oOo**

Eduardo plopped down on his sofa, turning his eyes to his temporary roommate, who was floating in the air a few feet away.

"I didn't scare your family too bad, did I?" asked Danny.

"Kevin and Beth weren't scared, but you did give me and Carlos a swift kick in the pants. He left the room while kneading his mustache with his knuckles. He always does that when he thinks real hard."

"Then I've done my job," said Danny, taking a sip of his cocoa, "Now, there's one more thing I've got to ask you…about Kylie. What's going on with you two?"

"Absolutely nothing," replied Eduardo, a little quickly.

Danny noticed a shift in his eyes and chuckled lightly.

"Methinks you doth protest too much."

"_Qué?_"

"Shakespeare. Translation: that's BS and you know it. Come on, Ed. There's something there, but you're too shy to admit it. I've been there. It's not easy."

Eduardo was silent, so Danny kept talking.

"Ah, you know there's some kind of tension, but you're both too scared to admit it. Whether it's just a fear of rejection or not wanting to put a strain on what friendship you have…that's the question. So tell me honestly, what's going on?"

Danny favored Eduardo with a piercing stare that said that he wouldn't quit until he got his answers.

"Well, maybe…"

Danny gestured for him to continue.

"There's just something about her…I don't know what. I do know I'd follow her anywhere, because I trust her that much, and I know that I'd help her up in a heartbeat if she fell…but I just…"

"Don't know? Don't want to embarrass yourself, or get rejected?"

"I been rejected, man. It hurts."

"So have I. But rejection is _nothing_ compared to regret. You two need to figure out what's going on and make some kind of move."

Eduardo didn't comment, so Danny added something else.

"Ever hear the song 'What Hurts the Most' by Rascal Flatts? Listen to it, and ask yourself if you want to be in that guy's position, if you REALLY want to live your life with that kind of regret."

"If I did make a move, what would you suggest I do?"

"You just do it! If you really want to be happy, then you have to go out on a limb and enjoy it for what it is. Just throw your troubles to the winds and do something stupidly romantic. Goth or not, Kylie's still a girl, and she does have some sense of romance."

"True…hey, what did you mean by you've been there?"

Danny smiled.

"Well, I'll tell ya…Sam and I had been best friends for years. We were close, and we supported each other no matter what our private thoughts were. Even when I was drooling over Paulina like every other guy in school, she tried not to bring me down, but she did urge me to look deeper than the surface. Then, over time, I started noticing things that I somehow hadn't before, like how gorgeous her eyes were, or now nice it was when she laughed, which by the way, wasn't too often. It took a while to get out of the friendship zone, but it was well worth it. My only regret was that I didn't notice her sooner."

"Hmmm…"

**oOo**

The next day, while Eduardo was running an errand for Beth, Danny snuck over to Janine's place. Keeping invisible, he knocked on her door, and when she answered, he whispered while lowing the invisibility around his eyes.

"It's me."

Janine cocked her head inside, then shut the door carefully.

"What are you doing here?" she asked the reappearing ghost.

"Eduardo and Kylie."

Janine raised her eyebrows and motioned to a sofa, taking a seat in a chair across from it.

"What about them? Did they finally admit it? Come on, kid! Details, details!"

Danny recoiled slightly from the eager look on her face.

"Okay, calm down. Nothing happened, but I got Eduardo to talk about it."

"Did he admit it?"

"Not in so many words, unfortunately. He knows there's something there, but he doesn't seem to want to label it."

Janine's face fell.

"Oh. Kylie too."

"Really? Ed's afraid to even talk about it, especially with her."

"Kylie's the same way. She knows that something's there, but the problem is, she's too afraid to admit it, even to herself. I think it might be because of past experiences. I've pieced things together. Her dad traveled a lot, and her mom was a real-"

"I've heard about her parents. Talk about baggage. Any friends, aside from her great-grandmother?"

"Her only real one was a boy named Jack, but when they were about seven he was captured by a Grundel and turned into one himself. She didn't see him again until recently, when he was found and cured of his transformation."

"So she's afraid to let other people get too close," Danny surmised.

"Why do you think she lives alone?"

"Okay, so first things first, we get her to admit that she's lonely, then convince them both to make a move. You work on Kylie, I'll handle Eduardo. We'll keep in contact as to what we're doing."

"Okay, partner," said Janine, extending her hand, "Let's do it."

Danny shook the offered hand.

"Time to play Cupid."

* * *

><p><em>The hardest part to write was the argument between Eduardo and his brother. Carl only appeared in one episode, and the arguments there were pretty topical, so I couldn't really reuse anything. I really hope it turned out right.<em>


	13. Perfection

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 13  
><span>Perfection<span>

"_A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries; a world where anything is possible. Where we go from here is a choice I leave to you."_

The credits rolled, and Garrett clapped appreciatively.

"Still don't see why Janine didn't want to see this," he said.

"She said she didn't like it much," replied Roland.

"_The Matrix_ is a little complex," said Danny, "And the pod scene is just disgusting. Think I preferred Nocturne's dream helmets."

"Some variation of a simulated reality?" asked Egon.

"Yeah. Nocturne drew power from dreams. He used them to grow stronger and create more of his Sleepwalkers."

"Sleepwalkers?" asked Kylie.

"Minions. Like him, they could regenerate, but my ice beams worked pretty well," replied Danny, blue energy forming on one hand for a moment, "Anyway, his Sleepwalkers swept over the town, putting everyone to sleep and strapping on these funky helmets. They kept the victims asleep and channeled energy from the dreams to Nocturne. The helmets were actually a lot like the Matrix, creating an entire world for the dreamer to live in. Whatever world they wanted. Tucker's dream consisted of a mansion and a pair of hot girls."

"Sounds like my kind of dream," Garrett mumbled.

"And there was no way to wake up?" asked Egon.

"Trying to remove the helmet only got me shocked, but I did manage to overshadow Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, get into their dreams, and shock them awake from the inside."

"Just like Morpheus," said Eduardo.

"If you want to put it like that. Ended up infiltrating Nocturne's dream after finding his machines in an old mattress factory. Sam and I went in and screwed around with Nocturne's head while Tucker and Jazz took out his equipment. No equipment, no dream sucking, no Sleepwalkers, and no Nocturne."

"Nice."

As the others rose and began to leave, Kylie noticed Danny still sitting, eye narrowed. Her query stopped the others in their tracks.

"Something up, Danny?"

"I thought it was just the movie, but…I've got a really antsy feeling. Like something's about to happen."

"You too?" asked Egon, "Such feelings for foreboding result from combat experience, and in copious amounts. I've felt similar feelings for the past hour or so, but I assumed it was the movie as well."

"Come to think of it, I've been getting a creepy feeling too," said Roland, "Usually, I get it when my siblings are up to something, or when something big is about to happen…"

"Can we talk about this later?" asked Eduardo, yawning, "I just got really tired all of the sudden."

Garrett yawned as well.

"Funny…me too…"

One by one, they nodded off, the standing ones dropping to the floor. Right before Kylie's eyes finally closed, she thought she saw stars…

**oOo**

Eduardo hummed a romantic little ditty, and the woman beside him attempted to hold in her laughter.

"That is such a lame tune."

"Don't laugh, Ky. That's the tune my dad often hummed to my mom. It runs in the family."

"Wish my family had something like that," said Kylie sourly.

"Easy, girl. You don't have to worry about that anymore," replied Eduardo, wrapping his arm around her slender frame, "You got me, remember?"

"Well, you never let me forget it," she replied, smiling, "But I am glad that I do."

The two sat down on a bench.

"It's a beautiful day," said Eduardo, "But not as beautiful as you…"

"Again, really lame."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"If it was night, I might have bought it better."

"Probably," said Eduardo, turning her chin up, "So pretend it is…"

Kylie gave the briefest of smiles before they leaned toward each other…

**oOo**

"And remember, Egon," the brown-haired man said, "I don't want to see you back here before three AM."

"Understood, Peter. I leave the firehouse and your capable hands…or perhaps I should say Ray and Winston's…"

"Funny, Spengs. Now you two crazy kids get going!"

Peter practically pushed Egon and Janine out the door before closing it behind them.

"Well, he certainly wanted us out of the way fast," said Janine.

"He worked hard to help us realize things," replied Egon, "It's only natural that he feels the right to give us a push every once in a while…at least until things reach a point where he feels he no longer needs to interfere."

"Probably…so, shall we go?"

"Yes. Let's."

Egon called a taxi and held the door open in the fashion of a gentleman. Janine smiled as she gracefully got in. Egon gave the street where their restaurant was located and the taxi drove off with the two inside. Behind them, the headquarters of their brotherhood, which had stood the test of time. Before them, what both Egon and Janine hoped would be a night to remember…

**oOo**

Sunlight streamed into the room, gently waking the sleeping Danny. For a moment, he simply stared out the window, silently reveling in the beauty of the day. Finally, he got dressed and headed downstairs, where the smell of fresh pancakes met his nose.

Striding into the kitchen, he found a plate of pancakes at his place at the table.

"Saved them for you," said his father, taking a sip of his coffee.

Smiling, Danny sat down and began to eat.

"So, how did last night's hunt go?" asked Maddie, "You both went to bed so fast, I didn't get a chance to ask."

"Oh, you missed a great one, Maddie. Real father-son time."

"Except over ecto-guns and energy blasts," added Danny, "Of course, not many people consider ghost hunting a family activity."

"Not many dads have a super-powered son! You were amazing out there, Danny-boy! That last ice beam really nailed that spook!"

"You were great too, Dad. Your aim is definitely improving, and the way you just cold-cocked Johnny 13 was awesome!"

"I just remembered that he tried to hurt my Jazzerincess and the rest was cake," said Jack, slamming a fist into his other hand, "Or should I say…FUDGE!"

Danny chuckled, then spied the newspaper. A familiar face drew his eye.

"Hey," he said, pointing to the paper, "is that-"

"It is, Danny," replied Maddie, picking up the paper and reading off the pertinent information, "'While the suspected culprit is a malevolent ghost known as Plasmius, Vlad Masters had been charged as an accessory in several murders. New evidence found at his Wisconsin home also links him to several more crimes, including grand theft, insider trading, corporate espionage, and several illegal scientific operations, including attempted human cloning.'"

"Not so much attempted…" Danny mumbled before speaking up, "I wonder how the police would feel if they knew that Vlad Masters WAS Plasmius, not just an accessory."

"Well, they're keeping him in a ghost-proof cell, just in case 'Plasmius shows up.'"

"Never did understand what happened to Vlad," said Jack, "But in the end, good riddance."

"Let's hope he stays in that hole he's dug himself," replied Danny, finishing his pancakes, "I better get my stuff. Sam and Tucker should be here-"

The doorbell rang.

"Now. They should be here now."

"So much for any minute, eh Danny?" asked Jack, elbowing his son, "Go get your stuff quick. I'll stall your girlfriend…"

Danny turned floated up through the ceiling, something he didn't do often in human form. As he grabbed his stuff, he mused at how great things were going, especially now that his parents knew everything. They had accepted him without question, and had worked to help him, both in the field and with the media. With the backing of the Fentons, Danny Phantom's name was cleared, and he was accepted as the protector of Amity Park.

Danny practically slid downstairs and wrapped his arms around Sam in one fell swoop, stealing a kiss from her for the finale.

"Oh, you're bad," said Sam.

"You should know," Danny replied with a smile.

"Okay, you crazy kids, let's go," said Tucker, "You can't stick around and make goo-goo eyes at each other all day."

"Wanna bet?"

The trio walked out of the house, the farewells of Danny's parents behind them. Tucker walked ahead of his friends, giving them a modicum of privacy. Danny and Sam walked with their arms around each other's waists, their bodies pressed together.

Danny's thoughts turned to Sam, and love swelled in his heart.

He was having a brilliant day. His life was wonderful and his girlfriend was perfect.

_He is content._

* * *

><p><em>Old comic buffs should recognize the final line from an old (and famous) Superman story. To those of you who recognize it, yeah, I did just tip my hand as to what I'm about to do...<em>


	14. Realm of Dreams

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 14  
><span>Realm of Dreams<span>

_**During our dreams we do not know we are dreaming. We may even dream of interpreting a dream. Only on waking do we know it was a dream.**_

_**-Zhuangzi**_

**oOo**

Egon stopped leaning and withdrew.

"Egon? What is it?" asked Janine, tightening her grip on his hands.

"Sorry, Janine. I…thought I saw something. Hang on a minute."

"But Egon…"

"It'll just be a minute!"

Egon quickly darted away and hid around the corner. Once there, he closed his eyes and began to mumble something. His mind raced as his mutterings increased in speed. Finally, he opened his eyes.

Everything had changed. The streetlights, the buildings, the bricks IN the buildings, everything had taken on an abstract form.

"Reminiscent of Salvador Dali. It's Morpheus all over again. Good thing I prepared for this."

Shutting his eyes again, he began to concentrate. After the demon called Morpheus had used energy from nightmares to give himself a foothold in the physical plane, Egon had studied a few techniques to wake himself should something similar happen again. And since he was one of the few individuals who could tell when things were a dream, these techniques could work wonders. He had already tested them on a few minor nightmares with total success.

Sure enough, Egon snapped awake. He sat bolt upright, his back hurting slightly from sleeping on the floor. As he tried to push himself off the floor, his hands brushed fragments of metal. Peering around, he saw the other Ghostbusters, all asleep, with bizarre sparking helmets upon their heads. Danny's story came flooding back.

"Nocturne. Similar MO to Morpheus, but with a more technological method. This should be a challenge."

He gathered up the pieces from his own shattered helmet and took them up to the lab, setting them beside a gutted PKE Meter. Slimer rose from a hiding place below the table, overjoyed that Egon was awake. After waving the relieved ghost off, Egon picked up a screwdriver.

"Time to get to work."

Working quickly and with Slimer to hand him tools, Egon used the wiring from the helmet with the PKE Meter to create a device that would hopefully disrupt the dream helmets.

"Okay Slimer, grab a PKE Meter and scan the rec room for any signatures."

Slimer saluted and grabbed a spare, following Egon back down. Egon made his way to Roland and activated the device near the helmet. After about half a minute, the helmet stopped sparking, and Roland jerked awake, the helmet falling away in several large pieces.

After giving the younger man a moment to catch his breath, Egon explained the situation. Roland looked around and noticed something.

"Hey, where's Danny?"

"Unknown. I assume that Nocturne took him. Once we wake up the others, we can go after him."

"Agreed. Just let me double-check the wiring on that thing. Don't want this thing to burn out after another use."

"I did cobble it together rather fast," Egon admitted, handing the device over.

**oOo**

_Eduardo and Kylie walked hand-in-hand when something darted in front of them and zipped around the corner. Eduardo swore in Spanish as the whatever-it-was flew by inches from them._

"_What was that?" asked Kylie._

"_Wait here…"_

_Eduardo peered around the corner, but saw nothing. Not even a trace._

"_Couldn't have been a cat…too big…so what was it?"_

_Eduardo scratched his head and turned to ask Kylie's opinion…_

_She was gone._

_Eduardo began to freak. He ran back, calling her name, growing worried for the woman he cared deeply about._

_Finally, he turned another corner and saw a huddled form on the ground. Praying that it wasn't what he thought, he crept over and inspected the form._

"_No…no, NO, _NO! _KYLIE!_ NOOOO!"

Eduardo shot awake, his scream dying suddenly. Taking several deep breaths, he didn't immediately realize where he was, nor did he acknowledge Garrett when he woke up beside him.

All he did was sit there, shaken by his dream…

**oOo**

_Kylie and Eduardo leaned toward each other, their faces inches apart. In her mind, she still asked questions, but for the moment, she was willing to throw them out the window for the moment._

_Suddenly, a black shape shoved them to the ground and away from each other. Kylie sat up and saw their assailant._

_Her heart stopped for a moment as she stared into the ugly green face and burning eyes of her old enemy, THE GRUNDEL._

_The Grundel's hand lit with fire and he whirled and threw the fireball at the rising Eduardo. With a short scream, he was engulfed in flame._

_When it died, Eduardo was gone, and another Grundel had taken his place. The original sneered at Kylie._

"_He is MINE."_

Kylie shot up, screaming. For a moment, she didn't realize where she was. Then Eduardo's face filled her vision.

"Kylie, RELAX. It was just a dream!"

Before she realized what she was doing, her arms were around him. Her breaths slowed as Eduardo returned the hug comfortingly.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah…can you let go now?"

"Oh, right, sure," said Eduardo a little too quickly.

Both of them tried to hide their respective blushes. Roland cleared his throat loudly.

"If you two are done, Slimer's found Nocturne's trail…and he's got Danny."

**oOo**

The Ecto-1 screeched through the streets. In the back, Egon and Garrett readjusted a pair of large tanks. Attached to each tanks was a fire hose and a large sprayer. This was the Liquid Oxygen Dispenser, originally developed to deal with plant-like ghosts, it dispensed liquid oxygen at sub-zero temperatures, freezing the enemy. Since Danny had mentioned earlier that Nocturne's Sleepwalker minions were only beaten by his ice powers, the two devices were essential.

In the front seat, Kylie kept her eyes on her PKE Meter, using it to direct Roland to where they needed to go. But otherwise, the car was silent. It was all so strange. They had gotten so used to Danny's presence, and even though he didn't ride in the Ecto-1, he usually conversed with then over the CV radio. The lack of his voice was actually unnerving.

Finally, they reached their destination, an old building just outside the city.

"Is that an old mattress factory?" asked Roland.

"Figures," said Eduardo, "Didn't he already try this trick?"

The Ghostbusters piled out of the Ecto-1, grabbing and setting their weapons. Egon and Roland shouldered the two Liquid Oxygen Dispensers, wishing that they could have made more.

They burst into the warehouse and found what they were looking for. Upon a metal table, wires spouting from the sparking helmet, was Danny, still in his human form. Crooning above him in a cultured voice was a ghost with a shadowy body and multiple tentacles for legs. The shadows were speckled with stars, like a clear night sky. The head of the ghost was not starry, but a waxy face with big red eyes. Curving purple horns jutted out of the head like some bizarre crown.

Nocturne.

"Yes, that's it. Dream on, Phantom. Every moment in your perfect little world makes me stronger."

"That does it," said Eduardo, "LIGHT HIM UP!"

Three proton streams streaked forth, slamming into Nocturne. They barely fazed him, any damage healed by his regenerative properties.

"HA! Foolish Ghostbusters. Phantom's dreams have strengthened me! Your technology cannot harm me. Only Phantom stood in my way, and he is now but a battery for me. You cannot win. Sleepwalkers! FORM!"

Numerous green ghosts appeared around the warehouse, moaning like zombies. Roland and Egon opened up with liquid oxygen, stopping most of the minions. Proton streams took out the rest. But Nocturne simply summoned another wave, then entered the battle as well. Kylie found herself near Danny in the thick of battle, and she called out to him, hoping for a miracle.

"DANNY! SHAKE IT OFF! Come back to us! Please…"

**oOo**

People cheerily greeted him. Dash even gave him a backslap. From Mr. Lancer's comments, his grades were close to top of the class. The other teachers, even the notoriously grating Ms. Tetslaff, were fair. There was only one ghost to deal with, but it was taken care of quickly.

And yet, Danny was uneasy. The happiness from this morning was gone, replaced with anxiety. Sam and Tucker tried to console him, but Danny barely heard it. There was something about it all that seemed…wrong.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I'm living someone else's life," said Danny, "Call me crazy, but the last thing I remember, I was in New York, with a team called the Ghostbusters…and Dad was dead…"

"You're right, dude," said Tucker, "You're crazy."

"Danny, you saw your dad this morning. He was fine!" said Sam, holding his hands reassuringly "Whatever it was, it must have been a bad dream. The nightmare's over."

Danny looked into Sam's eyes, trying to find solace. But for some reason, it still felt wrong. Nonetheless, to make them feel better, he cracked a grin.

"You're right. My life's a dream! The best dream anyone ever had!"

"See dude," said Tucker, "No worries."

When Danny got home, he kept his grin on as he greeted his mother, before being dragged down into the basement by his dad to show off a new invention.

The second he got there, he stiffened. This was where it happened. Where his father had died.

But…Jack Fenton was alive. He was standing right in front of Danny. So, was it all just a crazy nightmare? A delusion?

"Something wrong, Danny?"

"Uhh…no…I just have this strange feeling that something horrible happened here…"

"Maybe just some old memories from your accident. That one that turned you into Danny Phantom. You know, I'm glad you finally told your mother and me."

Danny took in his dad's grin, but something was amiss. Why didn't he remember telling them?

"Now check this out, Danny! It's a new type of ghost trap. Emits a cone of energy that latches on to ectoplasm and sucks it in."

Right there. Something was wrong. His father's voice distorted for a second. Instead of the exuberant voice of Jack Fenton, Danny had heard a different voice for a few seconds. A calmer one…

"Hey Dad? I have a weird question, but could you just humor me?"

"Sure son," replied Jack.

"Does the name 'Egon Spengler' mean anything to you?"

"Never heard it before," said Jack after a pause, but his voice seemed hollow.

That tore it for Danny. Something was going wrong. He had a bizarre feeling. He needed advice.

"You know, I think I'll go for a flight in the Ghost Zone. I just remembered that I had to ask Clockwork something."

"Sorry, Danny. The portal's having troubles. We can't access the Ghost Zone."

_That_ caught Danny's attention.

"Funny…that's never happened before…"

"Eh, sometimes this machine just acts stupid, am I right?"

And in the space of a second, it became clear to Danny. Horribly clear.

"Yeah…you are…except for one thing…Jack Fenton would NEVER call one of his inventions stupid, especially the Fenton Portal! WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY DAD?"

"Danny, what are you talking about? Are you feeling okay?"

Jack moved forward, trying to grab Danny, to try to calm him down, but Danny backed away, raving.

"NO! You're a lie! It's all a LIE!"

Danny transformed, eyes wild. He phased past Jack and faced the Fenton Portal.

"**A LIE!"**

The Ghostly Wail surged forth, slamming into the doors of the machine. With a crash, they flew open.

Instead of the Ghost Zone, there was nothing but blackness behind the doors. Blackness with pinpricks of light.

STARS.

And Danny's world turned upside down and backwards.

"Nocturne…"

Danny whirled around to face his father, who slumped to the floor like a marionette with its strings cut. Blackness formed above him, taking a familiar shape.

"Congratulations are in order," said Nocturne, "I suppose…"


	15. The Stuff of Dreams

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 15  
><span>The Stuff of Dreams<span>

"A shame," said Nocturne, "Now I will have to start the dream all over. Pity. Still, I suppose you were bound to figure it out eventually. But, as the master of DREAMS, I can remake this place at my whim. Perhaps I won't try to make this too perfect next time. No, you would see through it eventually. Of course, that's the funny thing about dreams…you never know you're in one until you wake up. And you won't be waking up anytime soon."

Despite finding the truth, Danny's heart wrenched.

"So this is all a dream…"

"A very special dream. The apparatus, combined with this dream avatar of myself, creates the ideal world for you."

"So you're not even the real Nocturne!" shouted Danny.

"Just a part of the program. But that doesn't mean I'm not real, or exactly like the real Nocturne in every way."

"Get me out of here NOW!"

"What's the matter? You don't like the world I've created for you?"

"IT'S NOT REAL!"

"Ah, are you the dreamer or merely part of someone's dream? The question Tweedledee posed to Alice. Quite a lovely story. As is this! You have love, prestige, family! All you ever wanted in your own private Wonderland!"

"I won't live a lie. No matter what it is! I won't be a part of this Matrix!"

"It's a moot point, Phantom. There's no way out of this place. You can't wake up. I control everything in his realm, you see. I can shape it in any way. There is no way to fight this dream."

"I beat you before, Nocturne!"

"Last time, you had help. But you're alone in this world, Phantom. All the people here are my puppets."

Sam, Tucker, Maddie, Dash, Lancer, and several more people suddenly appeared in the basement. Every one of them turned into a Sleepwalker. The green ghosts surrounded Danny

"There is no one to heed your call for help. Who are you going to call?"

That turned out to be a poor choice of words. Danny's mind flooded with images, images of a group of people. Danny smiled as memories Nocturne tried to bury came rushing to the surface.

"Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!"

Four shafts of light appeared around Danny. They coalesced into people. Roland, Eduardo, Garrett, and Kylie.

"WHAT?" shouted Nocturne.

"I know this is a dream," said Danny, similar light surrounding him and clothing him in a white trench coat, "So now, I can change it! Should have seen that coming, Lord of Dreams…"

**oOo**

Outside the dream, Nocturne suddenly staggered, allowing Garrett a clear shot at his head. As Nocturne recovered, he shouted out in rage.

"No, not possible! He's altering his dream! He can't do that!"

"Hey, that crazy crown just stopped sparking!" said Eduardo.

Sure enough, the arcs of electricity between the electrodes on the helmet were gone, only an arc or two firing occasionally to indicate that it was still working

"Eduardo, help me!" said Kylie rushing toward Danny and grabbing hold of the crown. Eduardo darted over and joined her in trying to pull the helmet off.

"Yes, that's it. Fight it, Danny. FIGHT IT!"

**oOo**

Proton streams and ecto-blasts flew freely, demolishing the Sleepwalkers. The dream-forms of the Ghostbusters were silent, but they only needed to fight. And fight they did. Danny had drawn on every memory he had to make these Ghostbusters.

His memories were strong.

"No, NO, _NO_!" shouted Nocturne, letting loose several energy blasts, "This is MY world! You can't escape my world!"

"WATCH ME!" shouted Danny.

His hands glowed a solid white as he let loose the strongest ecto-blast he could. Proton streams joined it in a terrible twister of power, which pierced Nocturne's dream avatar like a spear. With a final scream, the entity ripped apart into tatters of burning cloth. A pulse of white exploded from the body, ripping the dream world asunder.

As everything fell away into white, a single tear traced down Danny's face.

"What did I just do?"

**oOo**

"_ÉXITO!_" Eduardo shouted as the helmet finally came undone. He and Kylie fell back, the helmet slipping from their grip and falling to the floor. The clang of metal went unnoticed by the others, who were entrenched in battle. Nocturne had Egon by the throat, grinning viciously…

Danny's eyes snapped open, then narrowed. Blue turned to green.

"**NOCTURNE!"**

Nocturne heard a voice like ARMAGEDDON. He realized that he had less than half a second to defend himself.

The Lord of Dreams was too slow.

A fist like a pile driver slammed into Nocturne's face with enough raging force to punch a hole through a battleship.

The blow sent him across the factory and caused a backlash that destroyed the Sleepwalkers. Egon dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. The other Ghostbusters lowered their weapons, not wanting to get in the middle of what was about to be a clash of titans.

"Do you have **any idea** what you did to me?"

"I fashioned a prison that you couldn't leave without sacrificing the perfect life I gave you, a life that was nothing less than your heart's desire," said Nocturne, rising, "It must have been like tearing off your own arm."

Danny's fists glowed even brighter, and his white aura bristled.

"Oh, is the pain of reality catching up on you, boy? Perhaps you should have stayed in that happy fantasy I gave you."

"Happy?"

Roland didn't think Danny's face could get any more livid. The effect of the callous nature of Nocturne's word proved him wrong.

The next word was so loud and angry, it formed into a Ghostly Wail.

"_**HAPPY?"**_

Nocturne was blasted out of the warehouse and sprawled into the pavement. He narrowly avoided a punch that put a crater on the ground before Danny spoke again.

"Do you know what I've lost? The sacrifice I had to make to keep those I love out of harm's way? I lost my home and family because of some murdering psycho wearing the mask of a billionaire! And then you come along to rub it in my face. WHY?"

"You actually have the gall to ask me that? You ruined my life! After you stopped me in Amity Park, I was arrested and convicted by the Observant High Council! I only just barely escaped. I was willing to give you whatever life you wanted, Phantom, JUST TO KEEP YOU OUT OF MINE! And now you've ruined that too! Well, fine then! Since you refused my dream world, I shall grant you another gift: OBLIVION."

Nocturne fired a beam of energy that pushed Danny off him. But if he expected it to harm Danny, he was DEAD WRONG. If anything, it just made the half-ghost more determined to turn Nocturne into a puddle of ectoplasm.

Danny fired a ball of energy that exploded a foot away from Nocturne. It didn't do any damage, but it wasn't meant to. Instead, it gave of a bright flash of light. Before Nocturne's eyes could readjust, Danny had thrown two haymakers at Nocturne's face.

Danny continued his onslaught, ramming home blow after blow. Finally, Nocturne retaliated, slashing at Danny with energized claws. They only just missed, shredding the front of his clothes. Nocturne grabbed Danny's head in his hand and slammed it into the pavement twice before Danny reached back, grabbed Nocturne's arm, and flipped the larger ghost over his head.

Nocturne dodged Danny's next strike by turning to smoke. Reappearing behind Danny, Nocturne struck his unprotected back with an energized blow. Nocturne stood over his downed foe, grinning madly. Suddenly, Danny flipped onto his back, a blue stick in his hands, a stick pointing at Nocturne. Before Nocturne could process this, or the fact that his opponent suddenly had blue eyes, the stick shot to a larger length, becoming a spear that pierced right through Nocturne.

Roaring in pain, Nocturne retaliated, sending a beam of energy that Danny dodged. In doing so, Danny dropped the ice spear, allowing Nocturne to remove it with some difficulty and attempt to strike Danny with it. It turned to snow before Nocturne could bring it to bear.

"Nice try," said Danny, before launching a barrage of ecto-blasts and icicles at Nocturne.

Nocturne twisted about like a snake, slipping between the shots of the barrage and rearing up and striking at Danny. Danny popped back up off the ground, ramming his feet into Nocturne's chest.

The two continued to duel, ectoplasmic energy flowing freely, punches striking out with extreme force. Both opponents took much damage, but pushed on, neither giving an inch. Finally, Nocturne had his hands around Danny's throat.

"Time for the eternal sleep, Phantom. Anything else to say?"

In answer, Danny kicked Nocturne in the chin, causing him to release Danny. Danny pulled back both hands, immense energy charging in them.

"_BURN_."

An inhuman screech of pain erupted from Nocturne's throat as raw, angry ectoplasmic energy washed over him. From the outside, it looked like a solid beam of emerald power enveloping the ghost.

From the inside, Nocturne felt like he had been dunked in acid, then thrown into molten metal.

Danny lowered his smoking hands, deep breaths escaping his mouth. Dropping to the ground, he returned to human form, the battle over. His head fell into his hands and he stayed there, not moving as the others crowded around him, or as Kylie trapped the beaten Nocturne.

No one spoke. Finally, Roland broke the silence.

"What was it?"

"Everything…everything I ever wanted. My parents accepted me, I wasn't an outcast, the fruit loop was gone, school was fair and good…and Dad was alive…but it was all a lie. It felt like my heart was being ripped out when I found out…and I wonder…could I have stayed? Just stayed there, happy, forever?"

"No," said Egon, "It wouldn't have been worth it. There would always be a bit of doubt as to whether or not it was all real."

"But it's still so tempting," said Garrett, "Our dreams. Heck, sometimes, in my dreams, I can WALK. It would be tough to leave that, if I had the choice."

"But this is the world," said Eduardo, "The good with the bad, the love with the pain. That's the way it is, and we can't play God with that. We live and we fight, and we if we fight hard enough, we shine. It wouldn't be as real if it weren't hard."

Coming from the slacker, that was deep.

**oOo**

A few days passed, but Danny still hurt from what Nocturne had done. He sat on the couch, absently flicking popcorn into Slimer's waiting mouth. Egon sat down beside him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really…"

"You need to talk about it with someone. Usually, that would be Jazz, right?"

Danny suddenly realized what Egon was saying.

"Wait. You want to be my shrink?"

"If you'll let me."

"No offense, Egon, but the science of the mind isn't exactly your strong point. You're a physicist, not a psychologist."

"True, but I have read into it. Besides, what do you have to lose?"

Danny sighed.

"Okay, but answer this question…what was YOUR dream?"

Egon stiffened. He was quiet for a long time before he spoke.

"It was my fault…my fault that the original Ghostbuster team broke apart."

Danny made to speak, but Egon ignored him, lost in memories.

"Sure, the PKE levels of New York had been reduced to Twinkie crumbs, and tempers were flaring high in the wake of that…but I drove the final nail in the coffin. We were family, but I went behind their backs and had the document drafted that ended the company…and the Ghostbusters with it. I still remember that night. No words were spoken, but they didn't need to be…I could see it in their eyes…I had betrayed them and everything the team was about…"

Egon blinked several times, and Danny could have sworn that he saw tears in the man's eyes.

"I didn't speak to them for eight years…eight LONG years with nothing but a building full of memories of the people I drove away…ghosts that mocked me every minute of every day, ghosts I couldn't get rid of…and every time I heard news about the others, every time a simple search on the Internet found something, all I could to was rage inside myself at that bit of happiness for them that I was unworthy to join in…and spend sleepless nights wondering how, for Newton's sake, I could have driven them all away…"

"Egon…are you…crying?"

"That's what my dream was…where it didn't happen…where I DIDN'T do it…the same dream I had nearly every night for eight years…the dream that made me drop to my knees and beg to be rid of the worst mistake I had ever made in my life…and even after I saw them again, even after Peter shouted at me for betraying them, and even after they finally forgave me, I can't…and will probably never…forgive MYSELF for that…"

Egon calmed down after a while. And the two just sat there, lost in their own losses.

* * *

><p><em>Pieces of this story are based on Batman: The Animated Series episode <em>'Perchance to Dream' _where The Mad Hatter traps Batman in machine that allows Bruce's mind to create a dream world where Thomas and Martha never died, and Bruce was never Batman. This was also based off of Justice League Unlimited episode _'For the Man Who Has Everything'_, which itself is based on a famous story by Alan Moore where Mongul uses a plant-creature to trap Superman in a dream world where he grew up on Krypton._

_While both have similar themes, I used different pieces of them for my story. The conversation between Danny and Nocturne in the dream came from Batman, for example, while Danny's rage was straight from the Superman story. I even lovingly shanghaied the Armageddon line straight from Alan Moore's original story._

_I'd also like to direct credit to a writer on this site, Fritz Baugh. The first part of his story, _Dreams Reborn_, dealt with the feelings the Original Ghostbusters had after so many years after the break-up. Egon's miniature breakdown borrows much from that part. _

_I'd actually like to thank Fritz Baugh. His portrayal of the Ghostbusters, both teams, was very influential when I was writing this story. _

_If you're reading this, Fritz, thanks a lot!_


	16. Ponderings and News

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 16  
><span>Ponderings and News<span>

It had been three weeks since Nocturne's attack, and while the nightmares still plagued him, Danny was not as bothered by them as he had been in weeks past.

Truth be told, he was feeling much better. When not at the firehouse or on busts, he explored New York City, both as a ghost and a human. He marveled at it all, and secretly chuckled at the fact that in either form, he was invisible. He was growing more and more used to the city, and more and more often, he was considering it his home rather than Amity Park.

The others noticed and silently applauded this. Garrett, Eduardo, and sometimes Roland went with him in his travels when he allowed it. Kylie usually just stuck to suggestions.

Currently, Danny was sitting about a hundred and three stories in the air. The view from the Empire State Building was amazing, and he marveled at the city.

"I'm starting to really love this town."

Indeed, as Danny looked out over the monochromatic shades that were the city in the winter, his thoughts of his former city slipped away. He hadn't thought of Amity Park as his home for weeks. And strangely, he wasn't bothered by it. New York agreed with him. Something in the city just clicked, and it felt right.

The people he left behind, however, were always on his mind. He would catch himself thinking 'Tucker would laugh at that' or 'Sam would love this' or sometimes 'I wonder what Jazz would think of THAT!'

While he didn't miss Amity Park itself much anymore, his family and friends would never fade from his heart and mind. He once enough thought of Valerie, an ex-girlfriend who was secretly the Red Huntress, a weapon-toting, anger-fueled ghost hunter who hated Danny Phantom with a passion. It was a point of irony that they got along reasonably well outside of their costumes. While Danny admitted that pursuing a relationship with Valerie Gray had been a mistake from the beginning, he was glad that they could still talk sometimes as friends.

Off-hand, he wondered how Valerie was getting along without Danny, both Fenton and Phantom. Shaking his head, he dispelled those thoughts.

"Doesn't do good to dwell on it. That's what Egon and Kylie said."

As for the Ghostbusters, he felt…content with them. For some unexplained reason, he was happy with them. Really happy. He fit well with the Ghostbusters, better than he had in Amity Park, and even combat was a different animal than it had been before. Oh, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz were the best back-up he could have hoped for, but when all was said and done, he was the one taking the hits and doing most of the hard fighting. With the Ghostbusters, everyone pulled their weight, and everyone supported each other. If one went down, the others covered him and helped him back up. Mostly, it was Garrett, because he had a harder time dodging than the others, but he more than made up for it with his other skills and his attitude.

He had come to them in the final days of November. It was late January now. Nearly two months since arriving in New York and joining the Ghostbusters. Nearly two months since…

Danny unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself. As he did, he fingered his right upper arm.

What had happened and the desire to somehow return to Amity Park was the only thing keeping him from taking an official position among them. The only thing keeping that part of his coat bare.

And as Danny looked out over the city, he realized something. He had always known it, but for whatever reason, a part of him refused to believe it.

_There was no going back._

Even if his name were cleared, even if he could somehow restore Danny Fenton to life, there was no going back. He was a different person, and his old ties were nearly cut. Amity Park didn't feel like his home anymore. The only reason he would ever stay would be if his friends and family tried to keep him there. He would stay for them.

But even with them surrounding him, he would never truly be home. His heart would forever be in two places: with the people he cared about, and with the Ghostbusters, who for all intents and purposes, had made the first list.

There was no getting around it. As a city, as a place to live, Amity Park was dead to him.

Home would be where family was. And at the moment, he was having a hard time choosing between his former family and his new one.

His mom, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and in some ways, even Valerie…

Or…

Kylie, Egon, Eduardo, Garrett, Roland, Janine, and Slimer…

Or was the choice even a choice at all?

**oOo**

"You know, I've always wanted to go to Vermont," said Danny into his hand radio, "On the way back, think we can score some Vermont cheddar?"

"Danny's speaking my language!" came Garrett's voice.

"If we have time," answered Roland, "The chalet's up ahead. Let's get ready, this ghost is supposed to be pretty nasty. Danny, I want you do keep out of sight. If things get hairy, you're our secret weapon."

"Roger Dodger," said Danny.

They soon arrived at a small community of chalets. Upon reaching the target house, they approached it carefully, with Kylie in the lead to gather readings. A rare grin crossed her face.

"Good news, guys. This thing's an Energy Sucking Demon."

"How is that GOOD NEWS?" asked Garrett, "The last time we fought those things, they sucked up electricity and would have gotten enough to be able to suck out souls!"

"Those were Class 6 demons, Garrett. This one's about a Class 4…meaning it has a limited battery capacity…"

As that bit of information sank in, grins crossed the faces of the others.

"So all we have to do is overload it, like a computer. Good, let's get blasting!"

"Not quite, Garrett," replied Kylie, "It might have a limited capacity, but it's still got enough efficiency at processing energy to take our streams. We need to feed it something bigger."

"Like, for example, something that could topple a skyscraper?" asked Roland mischievously.

"Lure him outside. I'll take the rest," said a disembodied voice.

The other Ghostbusters stormed in, throwers ready. The noise of a battle erupted from the chalet moments later. Within minutes, Eduardo and Roland were running out of the house, aiming their streams behind them at a winged ghost with fangs and one eye. It snarled and chased after them, absorbing the energy from the streams.

Suddenly, the two Ghostbusters dove to the ground, covering their ears. The white-coated figure of Danny Phantom appeared behind the ghost, taking a deep breath.

The ghost didn't even have time to turn around.

When the Ghostly Wail was done, the ghost looked more like an obese pig with tiny wings than the demon it had been before. Kylie, walking out of the house, gave it one more shot with her Proton Pistol, and the ghost, unable to take any more energy, released it skyward. It then deflated like a balloon. Danny grabbed it and threw it into the trap.

"Little unorthodox," said Danny, clapping imaginary dust off this hands, "But after the kinds of things I've done, I guess I can't really talk…Roland, Eduardo, you two alright?"

"Sorry, my ears are still ringing!" shouted Roland, "But we're okay!"

"Sorry. I tried to make sure I didn't get you guys when I Wailed, but I guess you got in the fringe…"

"WHAT?" shouted Eduardo, who's hearing would be shot for the next fifteen minutes.

Suddenly, as Garrett was joining the group, a new voice entered the conversation.

"Phantom? Danny Phantom?"

Danny froze and mechanically turned. Standing there, confused, was none other than Dash Baxter.

With a squeak, Danny turned invisible. Before another second had passed, Garrett was pointing his thrower at Dash threateningly.

"Okay, pal. Start talking. Who are you and how do you know Danny?"

"M-my name is Dash. I'm from Amity Park…and if it's any consolation, I didn't believe those murder accusations for a minute…if Phantom had wanted to waste someone, he'd have done it a long time ago."

Kylie felt a cold presence beside her. She slowly lifted her arm until it found purchase on an unseen shoulder. Slowly, Danny faded back into view.

"Well, at least that one person who followed that logic…shame I can't say the same for other people…"

"We're right here, Danny," said Roland.

"Actually, you'd be surprised how many people find Mr. Fenton's murder fishy," said Dash, "Star called it TOO airtight a case, and she'd know…her aunt's a lawyer."

"Try telling that to the cops…or Vlad Masters…"

"I don't pay attention to that nut," replied Dash, waving his hand.

"Why are you here anyway?"

"Visiting my uncle. Actually, he lives here…"

"Think I'll go talk to him about our fee, then," said Kylie, "Where is he?"

Dash pointed to a house down the street, and she and Garrett strode off. Dash spoke up again.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened."

"I'm trying not to think about it too hard," replied Danny.

"Did you know the Fentons? Well at least?"

"Well enough…Jazz kept trying to psychoanalyze me…"

"What about Danny?"

This gave Danny Phantom pause. He would have to play it close to the chest if he was going to escape with his secret intact…

"Yeah…I knew him…actually, he, Sam, and Tucker were the first humans I ever met…"

Dash nodded, satisfied, then his face fell again.

"Sorry about Danny…Fenton, I mean. What a way to go, right?"

"I suppose…I've been coping, though."

"I can see that," said Dash, casting an eye to where Eduardo was over near the Ecto-1, "Joined the Ghostbusters, huh?"

"Still not sure whether to make it official or not," said Danny with a small grin, "But things are getting…better…how's Amity Park?"

"That Huntress girl is tearing things up. City seems to like her…she isn't you, though. Other than that, things are going…relatively well. Ghost activity rose some after you left, but the Red Huntress and Jazz got it back down."

"Jazz joined the family business?"

"She doesn't hunt TOO much. Saves the heavy stuff for Red. Mostly, she sticks by her mom. Even transferred to a closer college to keep an eye on her. Don't know how Mrs. Fenton is doing…Jazz keeps that information on the down-low…"

"And Sam and Tucker?"

Dash averted his gaze. This got Danny's attention.

"Dash. What happened?"

"Manson and Foley…disappeared about a week back…there haven't been any clues, but it seems like a ghost got them. Probably one used to covering up its tracks…"

Danny stiffened. A charge of green energy sprang unbidden to his hands. Roland cut him off.

"Oh, NO! You're not running off half-cocked. We need more information, particularly who did it."

Danny took a deep breath and the light faded.

"You're right. Although, I have a pretty good idea…"

**oOo**

When they got back to the firehouse, Danny immediately sought out the Box Ghost, spilling the whole tale. Boxy agreed to got on a fact-finding mission to the Ghost Zone.

"There has to be someone who'll talk…"

"No offense, Boxy," said Eduardo, "But I don't think anyone's going to tell you anything. You can't exactly pull off a bad cop act."

"Don't have to. You'd be amazed what people talk about when they don't think you're smart enough to understand."

"How are you even going to get to the Ghost Zone?" asked Egon, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but a portal takes an enormous amount of energy."

"That's right," said Danny, "I've only met two ghosts who could create portals from scratch, and one was…I don't know if I would classify Clockwork as Class 13 or just beyond the system. Anyway, I did meet one other ghost who can make his own portals, but Wulf doesn't so much make portals from scratch as take advantage of weaknesses in the barrier and claw open one."

"Like me," said Boxy, "I can find where a natural portal is likely to form, and…help it along. I can get in and out of the Ghost Zone EASILY."

"Trust me, he can."

"So that's how you got my Christmas present," said Kylie, recalling the book.

"I'll try to get back as quick as I can."

The Box Ghost flew off, flying above the city before sensing something. Swooping low, he saw an open dumpster. After cringing, he aimed his hands at it. A strange green energy wafted from them to the dumpster. A portal formed at the opening of the dumpster, about an inch above the trash. Hopping in like he was dumpster diving, Boxy found himself in the Ghost Zone.

"Time to track down a pigeon…"

* * *

><p><em>Some of you may remember back in Chapter 10, when Kylie asked how Danny got her an autographed copy of <em>Dracula_. Boxy and Danny shared a sly comment as an answer. This is the 'way' Boxy did it._

_This also explains how he got out of the Ghost Zone three times a week, but that's another story…OR IS IT?_


	17. Detective Box Ghost

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 17  
><span>Detective Box Ghost<span>

The Box Ghost entered the bar, not wanting to attract any attention. Thankfully, no one noticed. For once, he thanked the fact that no one took him seriously. As he floated toward the bar, his eyes shifted, taking in each ghost. His ears were alert to the tiniest sound.

It had been about a day since he entered the Ghost Zone. So far, he hadn't had any luck in finding out anything concerning Sam and Tucker, but he pushed on. Danny was counting on him.

As he sat down at the bar and quietly ordered a drink, he mused at his new relationship with Danny Phantom. Was it friendship? He thought it was. A part of his mind laughed at the term. If, a year ago, he was told that he would be friends with Danny Phantom, he would have laughed himself sick. He would have called that person a lunatic and thrown a box at him, or maybe a roll of bubble wrap.

But now…he actually found that if he shoved his ego aside for a moment (not an easy thing to do, he admitted), he could actually get along pleasantly with people, even the ghost boy.

The Box Ghost chuckled into his drink. Life, or in this case AFTERLIFE, was funny that way.

Peering down the bar, he noticed two new ghosts taking a seat.

'Skulker and Technus,' Boxy thought, '_Perfect!_ Not only is Technus a major gossip, but the two of them work for Plasmius. If there is _any_ ghost in the Zone who keeps up with human affairs, especially in Amity Park, it's him. And those two must have heard SOMETHING.'

Boxy restrained his glee. He had to play this cool. Edging down the bar, he began to listen in…

"So he has them? The ghost child's little friends?" Technus was asking.

'_BINGO!'_

"Caught the boy myself," said Skulker, "Those two…they seemed insistent on carrying the whelp's torch, keeping it burning. Obsession, if you please."

"Well, the girl DID love him…"

"And he and the boy were like brothers, I know. I fought Phantom more often than most. Except maybe the Box Ghost, but he doesn't count."

"He's right behind you," Technus hissed.

"SO?"

Boxy turned away, hiding a grin. They were so convinced he wasn't a threat, that they were talking freely. Just what he wanted…

"Anyway," said Skulker, "They've been helping that hunter girl with keeping ghosts out of Amity. The whelp would have been proud. I suppose the two intruded on a deal that would have made Plasmius' day. They busted it up REAL good."

"So he wanted revenge? This isn't about the late Phantom?"

"Maybe partially. If Phantom _is_ alive, and he hears about what happened-"

"Which he probably will," Technus interjected.

"Then he'll move Heaven and Earth to get to them…right into Plasmius' clutches."

"Delightfully evil!" Technus crowed, "I, TECHNUS, approve…of course, that's only if he's alive…"

"Oh, trust me…he's out there somewhere…Danny Phantom's a survivor. He's just laying low, biding his time…"

'Well, Skulker's right about one thing,' Boxy mused as he left the bar, 'Now, let's see how far down the rabbit hole I can go…'

**oOo**

Sneaking in through Plasmius' portal would have been suicide. There would surely be alarms on the device. So, Box Ghost decided on an…indirect approach.

He popped through a natural portal about half a mile away from Vlad's estate. While Boxy was sure Vlad Masters had multiple addresses (he _was_ a multi-billionaire, after all), Wisconsin seemed to be his main hangout. So, it was the ridiculously opulent castle first.

Boxy phased into the castle, keeping to the shadows. He wasn't stupid enough to believe he could hide for long, but he tried to play it cool. Sneaking about invisibly, he made his way to the basement, deciding to search the castle from the bottom up.

It was by sheer luck that he ended up in what seemed like a dungeon. Several wooden doors stretched before him. Poking his head intangibly through each on, he searched for any sign of Sam and Tucker.

The first door held several glowing green ghosts, all octopus-like.

'Ectopuses,' Boxy realized, 'That could make for a nice distraction.'

The second room was empty. He almost thought the same of the third room, until he heard a soft moan. He spotted a small lump at the far end of the room, a black object he might have missed. Floating closer, he realized that it was a person…

Sam Manson.

Boxy sucked in a breath as he looked at the girl. Never had he seen someone so bruised and beaten. It was clear that Plasmius was torturing her. Her skinny arms were covered in burns, bruises, and cuts, all of which stood out glaringly from her pale skin. Her clothes were in tatters, and one leg looked to be bent at an angle not seen in humans.

Boxy laid a hand on her shoulder, and one eye swiveled up to look at him. A moan followed, one that could be roughly translated as "Go away."

"I'm here about Danny," said Boxy quietly.

That got her attention. She tried to rise, but Boxy shook her lightly.

"Save your strength. Where's the other guy…Tucker?"

"Don't know," Sam croaked, "Plasmius keeps him in another cell."

"Look, just hang tough, okay? I'm going to go back and get Danny. He's going to come to rescue you, and he's bringing help. Just hang on until then. STAY ALIVE. You read me?"

Sam slowly nodded.

"Danny's really going to come?"

"He is. He'll come. You have the word of THE BOX GHOST!"

Sam nodded once more, and Boxy left. Given Sam's condition, it wasn't a stretch to imagine Tucker was similar. He couldn't get them out, not by himself and not without running into Plasmius. The Ghostbusters were needed, and for that to happen, he had a message to deliver.

'Now, if I can just get out of here while avoiding Plasmius…'

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?"

"Hatbox," Box Ghost swore, finding himself face to face with Plasmius.

"What are YOU doing down here?"

"Uhh…BEWARE! FOR I AM THE BOX GHOST, ON A MISSION FOR NEW BOXES!"

Boxy put his all into that statement, trying to convince Plasmius to let him go. If that didn't work…

"Well, I suppose you mean no harm…but just in case…"

A violet glow encased Plasmius' hand. Plan B it was.

Boxy thrust his hand to the side, a blue box of energy zooming out and ramming into the door beside him. The door went to pieces, releasing the ectopuses, which swarmed about haphazardly.

Boxy heard Plasmius shout in dismay as one of the ghosts hit his face. But time was short. Boxy zoomed off, phasing into Plasmius' lab and out his portal, careening across the sky of the Ghost Zone as fast as he could.

But there was one more stop he had to make…

**oOo**

Box Ghost carefully poked his head through the wall of Fenton Works. No one was home.

Zipping down to the lab, he began to riffle through papers, looking for one in particular. It was essential to cross the distance between New York and Wisconsin. The Ecto-1 just wasn't fast enough, and the Ghost Zone was too risky. They needed…

"BINGO!" Boxy shouted, a little too loudly.

He heard the click and whine of an ecto-gun behind him. In his haste, he hadn't properly checked the lab to make sure it was empty. Jazz Fenton had been asleep off to the side, using the lab's computer to research something. Boxy's searching had woken her up.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blast you right now," said Jazz, light glinting dangerously off the large weapon.

"Because I'm here to help Danny?"

Jazz didn't move. So Boxy spilled just about everything in one breath, from the Ghostbusters to finding Sam in Plasmius' clutches.

"That's…a good reason," said Jazz, lowering her weapon, "I'm guessing you wanted the blueprints for the Specter Speeder?"

"Which I found," replied Box Ghost, waving the paper at Jazz.

"It won't be enough. They'll never be able to build a new Speeder from scratch fast enough, and I can't give you ours because it got trashed when Plasmius attacked and I have no idea how to fix it."

Boxy's face fell.

"But…I can give you the parts to make it go. Dad made a back-up engine and thrusters in case they were ever damaged beyond repair."

"Pack 'em in a box and I'll be good to go."

"They're over here," said Jazz, "Mom and Dad built a room for spare parts."

Within minutes, the parts were packed up, the blueprints tucked into one of the boxes. With a wave of his hand, the boxes levitated before Boxy.

"Just tell him to swing by after he beats Plasmius, okay?"

"Will do," said Box Ghost before flying through the portal, boxes in tow.

The Box Ghost flew faster than he ever had before, pushing himself to his limits to get to an area of the Ghost Zone where he could make a portal to New York. Within an hour, he was in the correct part of the Zone, and by a stroke of luck, a natural portal was already forming.

Boxy zipped through, making his way toward the firehouse. He had things to deliver.

'Ironic,' he thought, 'Here I am, a dead man, and I'm still making deliveries. Afterlife is funny that way.'

* * *

><p><em>BOXY GETS TO PLAY HERO! YAY!<em>

_Sorry this is so short, but I wanted the next chapter to focus on Danny._


	18. Prepare

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 18  
><span>Prepare<span>

The Box Ghost had burst into the firehouse, spilled the whole story in one stream, and promptly collapsed, exhausted from his journey.

It had taken them five minutes to calm Danny down, whereupon they got to work.

"There used to be other Ecto vehicles," Egon had explained, "The Ecto-2 had been a gyrocopter. The Ecto-3 was a motorcycle, but it wasn't used often. The Ecto-4 was the most short-lived of the line."

"What was it?" Garrett had asked.

"A jet."

Once the shock had died down, they had traveled to a small warehouse, the resting place of the Ecto-4 as well as other junk gear. The warehouse itself had survived the original collapse of Ghostbusters Inc. due to a twenty-year lease in Peter Venkman's name, a lease he had no doubt forgotten about. Using the parts Box Ghost had brought back from Fenton Works, the Ghostbusters proceeded to refit the old Ecto-4 into something akin to the Fenton's Specter Speeder.

"So what is the Specter Speeder, anyway?" asked Eduardo.

"Originally, a research vessel," replied Danny, welding a panel in place with some ecto-energy, "It was designed to explore the Ghost Zone, but Mom and Dad never got around to doing that. I used it plenty of times, though. In the end, my parents outfitted it with weapons and shielding, refitting it into a vehicle to use when the Ghost RV wouldn't do."

"And this little Frankenstein monster will get us to Plasmius?" asked Garrett, taking a look at the blueprints, which bore only slight cosmetic resemblance to the product taking shape before them.

"You better believe it. Sam and Tucker once flew the Speeder from Amity Park to the Colorado Rockies to save my butt. This thing will make the trip and MORE."

About an hour later, Danny took a break, phasing up to the roof for some fresh air. Seeing a forlorn look on his face, Kylie had followed.

She managed to get up there in time to see Danny bang his fist on the roof in frustration.

"I should have been there…I could have stopped it. Now Sam and Tucker as paying for it in BLOOD."

"Do you really think it would have mattered?" asked Kylie, taking a seat beside him, "Could Luke have made a difference if he stayed behind when the stormtroopers came to his folk's place?"

"Don't twist this around with Star Wars! I _LEFT_. I left them so that they wouldn't have to pay for my mistakes. But Plasmius went after them anyway. And because I wasn't there…"

"It wouldn't have mattered," she replied sharply, "He'd have gone after them regardless, just to tick you off. You told us how he operates Danny. If I can come to that conclusion with second-hand evidence, you sure as heck can. You know him."

"And that's why it's my fault! I _DO_ know him! As much as I wish I didn't, I DO. I know what he's capable of, the lengths he'd go to. I should have seen this coming, I should have-"

"ENOUGH! You couldn't have known, and you couldn't have done anything if you did."

"Kylie, I'm supposed to be a hero! I'm supposed to be able to stop things like this!"

"Even Superman can't save everyone. If you had stayed, there's no guarantee that he wouldn't have just killed them on the spot to get to you. They're alive _right now_, and we _can_ save them _NOW_. Dwelling on the messy 'what ifs' isn't going to help, so get this straight right now: NOTHING is your fault. You _can't_ carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, now matter how much you want to. You tried your best, and that's really all anyone can give."

"Kylie, don't you get it? If I can't give enough, then how can I call myself a hero? Those people in Amity Park were right. I'm no hero…just a ghost in over his head…"

Kylie didn't answer. Danny got up and began to walk away, but Kylie finally found the right answer.

"Okay, so you're NOT a hero. But you know what you ARE?"

"What?"

"A Ghostbuster. You'll always have a place here. It's home now. It's where you belong. If Amity Park couldn't see the good you were trying to do, that's their problem. We see it. And we stand behind you. And we're going to beat Plasmius TOGETHER. Powerful as he is, he can't take all of us. He's just one ghost. You? You've got power, AND you have a team to back you up. He stands NO CHANCE."

Danny turned around and saw something not oft seen on Kylie's face.

A smile.

Slowly, Danny returned it.

"You're getting good at the brother-sister talks, you know that?"

"Must be a gift. You going to be alright?"

"In time…give me a little quiet and the chance to pound Plasmius' face in, and I'll be set."

As Danny phased them back into the warehouse, he pondered Kylie's words, specifically the last ones.

Amity Park would always be where he came from, his Smallville. But New York had become a home for him. The Big Apple just had…something. He wasn't sure what, but he liked it. Off-hand, he wondered if this was how Clark Kent had felt when he first began to live in Metropolis.

Regardless, New York City agreed with him.

And as Danny looked upon the other Ghostbusters, small smile graced his face. The company wasn't bad either…

**oOo**

At first glance, it looked like a short, white jet plane with no wings. It had large windows in the cockpit and what looked like rocket boosters on the back. Attached to the sides were horizontal cylinders, with six short cones without points on the front. Emblazoned on the sides were green hot-rod flames. Above the flames, on each side, the badge of the Ghostbusters shone out.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Egon, "I give you the Ecto-5."

Slimer let out a low whistle.

"Nice touch with the hot-rod flames," Eduardo whispered to Garrett.

"Thank you."

"Is it even flyable?" asked Kylie.

"We installed the engine, boosters, hover-pods, and controls that Boxy brought from Fenton Works," replied Danny, "Basically, it was everything that made the Specter Speeder go. Add those two proton cannons, adjust the settings and the wiring, and SHAZAM."

"In addition to a few other modifications to account for the difference between the shape and make of the vehicles," added Egon, "Now, shall we go?"

The rest of the team nodded. Kylie and Roland did a double-check of the equipment they brought while Danny and Egon did pre-flight systems check. Eduardo and Slimer opened the warehouse's large doors for the Ecto-5 to exit before boarding.

The engine hummed as the Ecto-5 lifted into the air. Within moments, the machine was heading out of New York.

"So, this is it," said Eduardo, "We're off to fight a ghost who can match DANNY. Anyone else here worried about our chances?"

"Well," began Garrett, "considering this guy has like…thirty years more experience than Danny-"

"Twenty," Danny interjected.

"Danny, tell us honestly," said Kylie, "Who IS Plasmius?"

Danny was silent for a while. Then, he swiveled his seat around to look at the younger members of the team, as well as Slimer. Egon looked at Danny out of the corner of his eye, while still trying to fly straight.

"He was my Dad's best friend in college. He was there when Mom and Dad tested the prototype Ghost Portal. Something went wrong, and he got a face full of ectoplasm and energy. He was hospitalized for a few years, and spent the next part of those twenty years learning about his powers and using them to become one of the richest and most powerful men on the planet, and an influential ghost in the Zone, by any means necessary…and I do mean ANY means. He became known throughout the Ghost Zone as Plasmius, but his real name…is Vlad Masters."

There was a stunned silence. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined that such a powerful and wealthy individual, a captain of industry in every sense of the word, could have been such a merciless killer. It was Roland who finally broke the silence.

"After this is over, I think I'll pull my stocks from Vlad Co."

"Anyway, that plan we were talking about earlier, before Box Ghost came back," said Garrett, trying to change the subject, "We all know it?"

There was a round of nods.

"But are you sure it's going to work?" asked Kylie.

"Reasonably," said Danny.

"Come on, Kylie," said Garrett, "Most of our plans are like this one: fifty percent tactical intelligence, and fifty percent flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants…kind of like the Marines."

**oOo**

As the Ecto-5 flew through the sky, Danny sat back and mused.

All the time he was in New York…heck, for as long as he'd had his ghost powers, he had been living under Plasmius' shadow. Every move he made, Vlad knew about. The man was always on the horizon, watching Danny with a dark gleam in his eye.

On some level, Danny understood Vlad's interest in him. He had been the only other hybrid in existence, and after such a long time alone, Vlad had probably been overjoyed to meet another like him. Even Danny had felt a pang of joy at that fact upon finding out about Vlad…of course, this quickly turned to disgust upon realizing how insane Vlad was, but still…

In a way, Danny wished things had been different. Vlad Masters could have been a good man, and Danny would have liked to have been taught more about his powers instead of stumbling from one day to another.

But it was far too late. Vlad had missed his chance, and Danny was more assured in his powers than ever before.

Vlad had allowed his lust for power to cloud his mind, and that had driven Danny away. It was his own fault, really.

And once again, Danny felt a spike of anger at Plasmius for all that he had done, to him and the people he cared about. The man had tried to browbeat Danny into his way of thinking at every turn, only to be rebuffed each time. But Vlad still drove forward, until it seemed more like a destructive spiral than a path to something more.

And now, Danny Phantom would return to end things where they began. Wisconsin.

This was it. There would be no second chances or turning back. Danny would either beat Plasmius and be free from the shadow the man held over his life…

Or fail, and be consumed.

Danny stared out the windshield, eyes narrowed and glowing green with will.

He was ready…at least as ready as he would ever be.

* * *

><p><em>I apologize to any Marines who read that joke and were offended.<em>

_I also apologize for the length of this chapter, especially after so long a wait, but don't fret. The next one will be longer and more actiony.  
><em>_(Is that even a word? Meh.)_


	19. Facing the Demon

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 19  
><span>Facing the Demon<span>

The large doors to Vlad Masters' mansion flew open and a voice rang out.

"PLASMIUS!"

Within moments, three forms flew from the wall. Skulker, Technus…and Plasmius himself.

"You don't have to shout, Daniel. Although, I am VERY pleased to see that you're alive…nice coat."

"Stow it, Plasmius. I'm through running. Call off your lapdogs and let's end this the way it should have ended."

"LAPDOG?" shouted Skulker, a glowing blade unsheathing from his wrist, "Why I oughta…"

"Down, Skulker," replied Plasmius, "This is between me and the boy."

"Funny," said Danny Phantom, "You didn't seem so keen on keeping it between us when you MURDERED JACK FENTON."

"Still steaming about that?"

"You have no idea…"

"Come now, Daniel. You know it could have all been avoided if you had only joined me."

"Really? So killing a man and framing me for it was your idea of getting me to the dark side, eh Lord Vader?"

"Cute. And honestly, I won't deny that I enjoyed killing that idiot Jack-"

"Who was ten times the man you will EVER be."

"But I might have left him alone if you had joined me," continued Plasmius, as if he hadn't been interrupted, "And I hear Maddie is recovering well, at least. Tell you what, you've caught me in a good mood. I'm going to give you one more chance. Join me…"

Plasmius stretched his hand toward Danny for dramatic effect. Danny merely snorted as he stepped into the foyer.

"It's funny that you're in a good mood, because I'm in a lousy one. So, you'll forgive me for being blunter and more…_colorful_ than usual. My answer is three words. The first is 'GO' and the third is 'YOURSELF'."

Plasmius did a mental calculation before snarling.

"You are going to regret this, Phantom. Like it or not, I still hold all the cards. Especially this one: the whole world still thinks you committed the murder."

"That's where you're wrong, Plasmius," said Danny, breaking into a feral grin, "In a couple hours, the whole world will KNOW that you did it."

Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out a digital recorder with a green flash drive sticking out of it.

"Say hello to Mister Ghostly Flash Drive!"

Danny removed the drive and stuffed it into his pocket before throwing the recorder at Plasmius' head. Of course, the evil ghost turned intangible to avoid it, but the message was clear.

He had been played like a violin.

Plasmius stared at the smugly grinning Danny before smiling himself and clapping sarcastically.

"Well played, Daniel, well played. But you realize I will be taking that drive. By force, if necessary."

"I only have one thing to say to that."

"Yes?"

From his other pocket, he whipped out a hand radio and spoke into it.

"Who you gonna call?"

Five seconds later, a large flying vehicle crashed through the door, skidding to a stop and allowing several people to jump out, weapons really. They joined Danny in the answer to the question.

"GHOSTBUSTERS!"

"Well this is unexpected," Technus mumbled.

"Skulker, Technus, take them. But leave the boy to me," ordered Plasmius.

Skulker activated his weaponry, and Technus surged electricity into his hands, but the Ghostbusters were faster. Eduardo, Kylie, and Garrett zapped and snagged Skulker. Roland shot Technus into a wall, where Egon responded with a blast from his old model Proton Pack. Slimer finished things by literally spitting at Technus, stunning him long enough for the little ghost to aim a blast of his own Proton Pack at the ghostly genius. Roland and Egon joined the assault, lassoing Technus in their own beams.

The two halves of the team swung their caged ghosts at each other. Skulker and Technus had their heads slammed together, stunning both.

"Increase dispersal," ordered Egon, "Hammer them!"

With a few flips of a switch on each thrower, the power of the streams increased, causing the two ghosts to cry out in pain as their energy was literally blown away.

"Danny…"

"Good night, everybody," Danny quipped, uncapping the Fenton Thermos and sucking both defeated ghosts in.

The Ghostbusters turned back to Vlad, who was floating there with his mouth hanging open.

"If you're done catching flies, I say we settle this," said Garrett.

"Once and for all," finished Danny.

As Vlad attempted to compose himself, Garrett opened up with a stream. It winged Plasmius in the arm, shearing off a piece of cloth from his suit and burning the ectoplasmic skin beneath. The evil ghost bit back a cry as he clapped his hand over the wound.

"Fascinating," said Egon, "The streams of protonic energy seems to cause severe burns on half-ghosts."

"Egon," Eduardo interjected, "if you're done playing scientist…"

"Right, of course."

Six throwers and two energized fists aimed at Plasmius, who was coating his wound in ectoplasm to heal it quickly.

"You could walk away now," said Kylie.

"He won't," said Danny, his voice a mix of resignation and apprehension.

Plasmius growled and faced them, his hands lighting with an evil red light and his aura flaring.

"Tell me, Phantom…what do you remember about Pariah Dark?"

"Besides the fact that it was most exhausting fight I ever had? Pariah Dark ruled the Ghost Zone with an iron fist for Lord knows how long. Centuries ago, a group of powerful ghosts called the Ancients defeated him, stripped him of his items of power, and locked him away in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep…until you let him out."

"An accident, I assure you. I was looking for his items of power, the Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage. Sadly, the secrets of the ring are known only to Pariah Dark himself, save for the fact that it can be used in conjunction with the crown. The Crown of Fire, on the other hand, is more easily used, and while Pariah alone knew the true potential of the object, it is a source of great power…power I have been tapping into…"

Danny paled. He remembered how powerful Pariah Dark was. He claimed the title King of Ghosts, and while it was mostly self-given, it was well earned. He had only been able to face Pariah by using a prototype battle-suit that dramatically increased his power. Even then, it was clear that Pariah Dark was in a league of his own.

"The device is FAR too complex for anyone but Dr. Spengler here to understand, but the upshot is that it allows me to absorb fragments of the power from the crown. Oh, I know I'm only scratching the surface, but it _has_ only been a few weeks. And it is still more than enough power to defeat you all."

Vlad opened up with a large blast of energy. The Ghostbusters reacted quickly, dodging to the side. Danny phased Garrett through the floor and back into the Ecto-5. Garrett activated the weapons systems, opening up with the vehicle's proton cannons.

Plasmius raised a shield, but the cannons kept hammering him. The other Ghostbusters opened up with their throwers, catching the shield at different points and wearing the whole thing down. Finally, they broke through, and Plasmius was hit with a maelstrom of protonic energy.

When the Ghostbusters finally backed off, a cloud of smoke stood where Plasmius was. Silence lay heavily around the room.

"Maybe he's dead," said Eduardo, slightly hopefully.

The smoke began to clear.

"Of course," said Danny.

Plasmius stood, only slightly worse for the wear. The only visible damage they did was burn off his cape. He brushed dust from his suit as he spoke.

"Was that it? FAH! This is the might of the Ghostbusters? Unimpressive. You children are but a shadow of the originals. You are not worthy to call yourselves as such."

"How would you know?" asked Egon, "Have you ever faced a ghost without the benefit of your powers? Have you ever looked malevolence in the eye and refused to flinch? I'll bet not. I've been in this business for a good portion of my adult life, and I can saw without a doubt that these 'children' ARE Ghostbusters. In every sense of the word."

"Be that as it may," said Plasmius, rising into the air and charging up energy in his hands, "and despite the lucky shot you got off before I the energy I absorbed fully kicked in, I might as well be invincible. Despite how clichéd it sounds, you will NEVER defeat me!"

He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his head.

"'Never' is Karma's doorbell," said Danny with his energized fist cocked back.

**WHAM!**

"Ding-dong! It's for you."

Plasmius went sailing into the wall, cratering it. Proton streams followed, and a few of them hit. Plasmius retaliated with beams of ecto-energy, but Danny zoomed in and raised a reflective shield that bounced back most of the energy. Plasmius wasn't expecting that, and was slammed into the exact same spot on the wall.

"Someone seems to like that spot," said Eduardo, increasing the power of his stream and firing.

Plasmius dodged the next volley of streams and threw off several ecto-bombs. Danny froze them in mid-air, rendering them useless. In answer, Plasmius put his hands together and fired a large beam of energy. The Ghostbusters hit the deck, and Garrett returned fire from the Ecto-5's proton cannons.

Again, Plasmius was knocked back, and this time, Danny was behind him with an axe handle blow that slammed his foe into the ground, demolishing the stairs. Danny followed up with a barrage of beams and bombs. A beam of energy lanced out of the hole, forcing Danny to dodge and break off his attack.

Plasmius flew out of the hole and back down to the ground, slamming his fist into the floor and letting off a shockwave of ecto-energy that knocked the Ghostbusters down. However, Plasmius forgot that one of their number could fly besides Danny.

Slimer dive-bombed Plasmius, tackling his face. Slime ran freely, blinding Plasmius and causing him to sputter. Slimer finally broke off and brought his thrower to bear.

The stream hit Plasmius at point-blank range, knocking both ghosts away from each other. Slimer hit the wall, his Proton Pack falling off as he literally splattered.

"Ohhhh," he murmured dizzily, "No do THAT again…"

As Slimer tried to scrape himself off the wall and reclaim his pack, Egon, Roland, Kylie, and Eduardo opened up, with Garrett providing some artillery from the Ecto-5. Barely dodging the beams, Plasmius was socked into the Ecto-5's firing range by Danny. As the cannons cooked him again, Plasmius realized that he needed to take the vehicle out of the equation. He blindly shot off some beams, and he got lucky, shearing the cannons off the Ecto-5.

"BLAST IT!" shouted Garrett, backing the vehicle out of the mansion. It wasn't going to be of any more help, and since it was their ride, it wouldn't do if it was damaged in the fight.

Danny traded blows with Plasmius, neither opponent getting the upper hand. As Danny leapt back to allow another volley of proton streams, it hit him.

Neither of them had the upper hand. Plasmius was weakening…

Another volley from the Ghostbusters rammed into Plasmius' back. He dug into his energy reserves, whirled around, and let off a wave of energy. Egon hit the exact center of the wave with a stream, causing it to falter and explode mid-flight. Eduardo and Roland backed him up, nailing Plasmius in the chest. While the evil ghost tried to recover, Kylie rammed home a truly beautiful shot to his head.

Plasmius roared in pain, clutching his burning face and trying to ease the pain with ectoplasm, but his reserves for that trick were nearly dry. While he was trying to do that, he was left wide open.

Danny concentrated, forming a large snowball and charging it with ecto-energy. He threw it at Plasmius, and the attack blindsided him and exploded in a storm of ecto- and ice energy. When it cleared, Plasmius was frozen, but looked to be in the process of breaking out.

"This has gone on long enough," said Egon, "Garrett, Roland, Slimer, keep him busy. Danny, Eduardo, Kylie, come here."

The others did as ordered, and Egon spoke to the three he had called.

"We have to cross the streams."

"WOAH THERE!" shouted Eduardo, "You said that was bad! Like, nuclear explosion bad!"

"Usually, yes. There are times when there's no other choice, but since you were new at the job, I didn't want to take any chances. But I've looked at the specs and energy wavelengths of the V2 packs. Under the right circumstances, it could work, much better than the first time the streams were crossed against Gozer."

"Explain," said Kylie, "You have a plan."

"I have a plan. First, the power of the Proton Pistol operates on a slightly different proton pattern than the regular blasters. I won't go into the gory details, but that's one thing in our favor. Second, we're going to use Danny's Ghostly Wail to both empower the blast and contain it."

"You think that will work?" asked Danny, "Plasmius is no slouch, and my control over the Wail isn't as good as it could be, all things considered."

"I'm ninety-eight percent sure it will. And don't worry. You're stronger than you know. That's why Vlad worked so hard to break you. He's got more experience and more resources, but you're stronger. You received more ectoplasm infused into your being in your accident, and you were at a point in your life where you were still growing. He had neither of these things going for him, and that makes your potential power MUCH stronger than his. Conclusion: you're more powerful than you know. You can do it."

Danny was silent for a moment. Then, he smiled.

"I love this plan! I'm excited to be a part of it!"

"Then let's do it," said Eduardo, "Slimer, egg him!"

By then, Plasmius had nearly broken out of the ice. He realized too late that he was about to get slimed again. When Slimer backed off, Vlad was again blind, and didn't notice that the Ghostbusters were backing off.

"GAH! FUNKY!" he shouted.

"Eduardo, Kylie, full dispersal, NOW!"

Two streams slammed into Plasmius. He tried to get way, but he was still partially frozen.

"Okay, steady now," ordered Egon, allowing the others to get behind them, "Okay, carefully…"

"Let's just do it already!" shouted Kylie, forcing her pistol close to Eduardo's thrower.

The two proton streams began to twist around each other, surging into a terrible twister of power. Danny took his cue, taking a deep breath and summoning the power.

No Ghostbuster can truly describe what crossing the streams was like. They didn't talk about it at all, if they could help it. But to describe exactly what happened with Plasmius…descriptions fell far short of the actual event.

When the smoke cleared, the Ghostbusters peered carefully at their target. For a moment, Vlad Plasmius stood there. Then, his ghostly form blew away, like dust in the wind. A very human Vlad Masters fell to the ground, burned and unconscious.

"Is he…"

"I'm not sure, Kylie," said Egon, creeping forward with his PKE Meter on, "but before anyone tries to argue, we didn't have much of a choice. Maybe he was weakening, but the longer the battle drew on, the more chances he had to kill us. And I wasn't about to let anyone on this team die if there was a way to stop it."

After a few moments and scans, Egon let out the breath he had been holding.

"Well, Mr. Masters still alive. Plasmius, on the other hand, is not. Vlad's PKE reading is now equivalent to that of a Class 1. He won't be able to use his ghost powers ever again."

"Now, define Class 1," said Danny.

"Undeveloped forms, insubstantial, i.e., spectral lights, ectoplasmic vapors, etc. Could also refer to extremely weak spirits that are easily dispersible via application of one or two streams."

Danny was silent for a moment before whooping with joy.

"HE'S GONE! PLASMIUS IS GONE! **YES!**"

"GAH! Blast my other eardrum, why don't you?" said Garrett, rubbing his ear.

"Moving on," said Roland, "Let's get Sam and Tucker and get out of here."

"I'll warm up the Ecto-5," said Kylie, heading out with Slimer on her heels.

The team descended into the bowels of Vlad's castle, finding the dungeon that the Box Ghost had told them about. Danny turned the lock on the first door intangible and entered, Eduardo behind him.

Sam was lying on the ground, in much the same condition Box Ghost had found her. Danny carefully picked her up and carried her out of the room.

Roland and Egon joined them in the hallway, carefully carrying an unmoving Tucker.

"Is he…"

The look on their faces said it all.

"I'm sorry Danny," said Egon, "I really am."

While he tired not to show it, Danny didn't get over what happened to Tucker for months. Even beaten, Plasmius had still claimed a slice of victory.


	20. Return to Amity Park

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 20  
><span>Return to Amity Park<span>

Several things happened between that last hour and noon of the next day.

Sam Manson was admitted to a hospital in Green Bay. Her parents were informed, and she was transferred to Amity Park General within hours. Doctors expected her to recover well. The movement of Sam was also the movement of the late Tucker Foley. His body was given to his parents with deepest condolences. His father mentioned (perhaps jokingly, perhaps not) burying Tucker with a PDA in his hand.

The Amity Park Gazette and the Amity Park Police Department suddenly found themselves with evidence that exonerated Danny Phantom of the murder of Jack Fenton. While the Guys in White still wanted to verify the recording, the police seemed sure that it was truth. They had never believed that Phantom had done the deed anyway.

The Gazette, after double-checking with the police, had printed a rush extra edition. Readers all over Amity Park read the edition, with mixed emotions. But, the paper was not known for libel, so the people took it as truth. There were several relieved people, particularly fans of the ghostly protector who viewed him as framed.

Valerie Gray was not one of those people. Her scorn for Phantom ran deep. She viewed him as the cause of many of Amity Park's ghost troubles, and while she had to admit that he had a small heroic streak (as evidenced by the Ghost King's invasion, among other things), she didn't think he was NEARLY the hero he claimed to be. In fact, she planned to destroy Danny Phantom should he show his face again.

The fact that she had been trying to destroy him for years without success didn't seem to register.

Regardless, with the Fentons more or less indisposed, she was the prime ghost hunter of Amity Park as the Red Huntress. She didn't know what Vlad Masters' reasons were for giving her her original armor, but she didn't care. This new armor, created by Technus in a bid to use her to fight Phantom, was much better. Not only were the weapons stronger, but the black-with-red-highlights suit could materialize around her at will. The hover board she used for transport was much faster too.

As she scouted about the town, she mused on how ghost activity had dropped off a bit after Phantom vanished. Granted, there were stronger ghosts about now that he was gone, but the possibility that he might have been holding the more powerful spirits back didn't seem to register in Valerie's one-track mind.

After her patrol, she figured that she would visit Sam Manson at the hospital. Granted, the two hadn't been friends, but Sam and Tucker had occasionally showed up on a ghost hunt, aiding her before vanishing, always before anyone else saw them. Valerie, as the Red Huntress, had visited Fenton Works to try and inform Jazz that they had been using her equipment, but the young woman had refused to see her.

On a different track, Valerie added '_pay respects to the Foleys_' to her to-do list. She had once dated Tucker, and found him somewhat interesting, even if his obsession over technology and attempted sooth-talk got on her nerves.

'Shame I didn't get to know him better,' she mused, 'He seemed like a nice guy.'

Her thoughts turned to Danny Fenton, but she dispelled that train of thought. It wouldn't do good to get caught up in that, not on the job.

Suddenly, she heard what sounded like a guitar rift. Followed promptly by an explosion and screaming.

"I need to get this ghost detector adjusted," the Red Huntress grumbled as she steered her board through the air toward the source of the disturbance.

The cause was, of course, ghosts. There were six of them, all dressed like band roadies, save one. In the center, apparently leading the charge, was a ghostly woman. She wore black clothing in a punk rock style, and had an electric guitar and blue hair, tied into a ponytail of blue flame.

"And to think I liked her music. Who knew Ember was a ghost?"

The pale musician gleefully played another rift on her guitar, and energy zoomed out, causing a car to blow up.

"This is TOO easy without Phantom to spoil the fun. Why didn't I do this earlier?"

"Because I'm here, pop star!" Red shouted, opening up with her guns.

Ember flew up into the air to dodge, putting her level with the Huntress. Smirking, Ember adjusted a dial on her guitar and banged out a rift. But this wasn't energy. It was a high-frequency sound wave. The wave hit the Red Huntress head on, scrambling the computer systems in her suit like eggs. With a shout of fear, the Huntress crashed into the ground. As she desperately tried to reboot her suit, the ghosts surrounded her.

"Nice try kid," said Ember, "I hear you're good…but you're no Danny Phantom."

"Ain't that the truth," a voice shouted out.

Lances of green energy knocked each of the ghosts back in turn. Red turned and saw who did it. He had gained a white trench coat since she had last seen him (which, if she was being honest, looked pretty cool), but it was still him.

Danny Phantom.

"The dipstick LIVES?" said Ember incredulously, taking a step back from shock.

"YOU!" shouted Red, "What the heck are you doing here? Are you behind all this?"

'As thick as ever,' Danny mused before answering.

"How could I be? I only got back into town YESTERDAY. And before you go off on a 'I will destroy you' rant, let me just mention that my friends wouldn't like that…"

A vehicle that looked like a cross between a small jet and the Fenton's Specter Speeder barreled up. The door opened and a ramp extended, letting out a young man in a wheelchair. He aimed some sort of blaster at Ember and her posse before howling out.

"Ghostbusters IN THE HOUSE!"

Three more people exited the vehicle, each with their own blaster. As if by psychic command, the four opened fire upon the ghosts, green streams of energy lancing out. Danny smiled and opened fire as well, scattering the ghosts.

"Watch the best," said Eduardo.

"Get rid of the rest," Danny finished, "Time to get busting."

"Amen," said Roland, "Hey Garrett, remember that trick we did with the ghost Nazis?"

"The Dizzy Blaster? Spin me 'round!"

Roland kicked the back of Garrett's wheelchair as hard as he could, while Garrett himself locked then unlocked one of the wheels. The result was Garrett spinning out like a top, firing stream after stream as he went. Several ghosts got knocked to the ground by this, while the Ghostbusters and the Huntress ducked. Danny himself phased into the ground, coming up behind one ghost after Garrett stopped spinning and sucker-punching it. Said ghost went flying into a pair of streams from Eduardo and Kylie. They lassoed the ghost and sent him sailing into another, knocking both silly.

Danny grabbed another ghost and threw him into Eduardo and Kylie's cage of proton energy. He then sent a few beams of energy sailing toward Ember, who dodged and returned fire with actual fire from her hair. Danny blasted the attack with his ice powers, cancelling it out and spreading a cloud of steam from which Danny and Roland fired into. Ember, not being able to see through the steam, was blasted several yards away, and the two concentrated on another target, with Danny laughing all the way.

"OH, it is good to be back!" he shouted, "I honestly didn't know I had missed it this much!"

"The Originals said something to that effect last time we saw them," said Roland, "Although I have to wonder if they're going to be back…"

"Maybe eventually, but they won't get rid of US that easily."

"True."

Garrett snagged their ghost with his stream, then began to whip the ghost around in a circle.

"'Round and 'round and 'round he goes! Where he stops…"

Garrett whipped the ghost into Eduardo and Kylie's cage, where Kylie reached for the trap on her back.

"We know," she said, throwing the trap down.

"No more zap, time to trap," said Danny as the trap opened up.

While those ghosts were being dealt with, Roland grabbed the last band groupie and threw him into the vortex. In a fit of rage, Ember tried to charge him, only to run into Danny.

"Not happening, lady…and I use the term loosely…"

The two ghosts began to grapple, fighting for ground.

"I don't care what you're packing or what kind of back-up you have," said Ember, "I'm not going to go down easily…"

"Funny you should mention back-up," said Danny before whistling.

Before she could ask what that was about, Ember felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw a green blob before it lunged, catching her in a goofy, slobbery kiss that seemed like it had come straight out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

Her face covered in Slimer's slime, she sputtered, loosing her grip on Danny's hands. He took advantage of this, grabbing one wrist, using his free hand to punch her in the stomach, and then flipping the wheezing Ember into the still open trap.

As the trap finally closed, the Ghostbusters gathered around it.

"SIX in the trap!" shouted Eduardo.

"Ready to go!" hollered Roland.

"We be fast…" began Danny.

The three chorused the last line while executing a three-way high-five.

"…AND THEY BE SLOW!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen," shouted Garrett, "We're the best, the beautiful, the ONLY…GHOSTBUSTERS!"

"Okay, boys, enough play," said Kylie, "Egon's checking us out, and we've got a long trip back to New York."

"I'll meet you guys a bit later," said Danny, "There's still a few things I have to take care of."

"Fine, you got an hour. If you're not at the rendezvous, we're leaving without you."

"You and I both know that's an idle threat."

"You flew cross-country before."

"And afterward slept for a combined total of twelve hours."

Kylie merely rolled her eyes and pointed skyward. Danny favored her with a smirk and flew off, humming.

"What the heck was that?" shouted the Red Huntress indignantly.

"Well, I think it's called 'cleaning house' but the term might be different here," said Roland.

"Shouldn't be," mumbled Kylie.

"I mean with Phantom!" Red shouted, "You're supposed to be ghost _hunters_! But you just fought beside a ghost, joking around with it even! Don't you know who that is?"

"Well, considering he's been with us for over a month…"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS? Do you even know HALF the things he's done? He's a menace!"

"Oh, bull sh-"

"What Kylie's trying to say," interjected Garrett, "is that we've worked with him, talked to him. Something I don't think _you've_ ever done. He's a great guy and a terrific Ghostbuster. Bottom line, you can grumble all you want, but he's the good guy here. He's one of _us_. You mess with him, you mess with the rest of us! Ghostbusters guard their own."

The Red Huntress was struck speechless, and the Ghostbusters left her to her own devices.

**oOo**

After checking the records, Danny floated around the building, invisible and intangible, before finding the right room. Phasing in, he saw that some of the lights were off.

'Well, she does like the dark,' Danny mused.

The person he had come to see had her nose in a book, so Danny didn't immediately see her. He made his presence known by turning visible and speaking.

"What do you know? I didn't think I would be able to keep the promise to return. I was wrong."

If he expected Sam to drop her book, then smile at him, he was only half-right. The second the book left her hands, she grabbed a curtain hung around the bed and snapped it shut.

"Okay, WHAT?"

"I don't want you to see me like this…"

"Sam, I know you well enough to know that something is wrong when you start caring what other people think. You've always been an individual."

"Individualism aside, you shouldn't have to see me like this…"

"Cut it out, Sam. I don't care what you could possibly look like. You could have snakes for hair and I still wouldn't look away. Now, either open this curtain, or I open it for you."

There was an uneasy silence before Sam acquiesced. She was paler than usual, and covered in bruises, but that was to be expected after what she had gone through. What Danny didn't expect was her right eye, which was now much paler than it had been.

"Was the eye the problem? Because in case you forgot, I have the same problem. At least we match now."

Danny tapped his face underneath his left eye. Sam gave a small chuckle before her face fell.

"Danny, there's something else."

"What?" asked Danny, returning to human form and placing his hand atop hers.

"I've blocked out most of what Vlad did, but it was apparently enough. The doctors…don't expect me to fully recover…"

"Sam…"

Danny's tone of voice said that he wasn't fooling around, and that she should stop beating around the bush.

"Danny…I can't walk…I don't think I ever will again…"

"Is that it?"

The flat tone Danny spoke in floored Sam.

"What…you're…that doesn't even faze you?"

"Sam, you really think I've been in some cave all this time? I went to New York City. I found a new home there, and people who respect me. I guess you could say they became a family to me. You'd like them, especially Kylie. She's a Goth, and I think you two would find a lot to talk about. Anyway, one of them, Garrett, has been paraplegic since birth, but he's the biggest adrenaline junkie you'll ever meet. He's never let his wheelchair slow him down, and I know you well enough to know that you won't either. I wouldn't be surprised if I forgot you were in a wheelchair sometimes. I do with Garrett. Told him once, and he laughed. Bottom line, I don't care, and I promise you, I never will."

Sam eventually gave him a smile.

"There it is! A smile. I love it when you smile."

"You didn't…forget about me, did you?"

Danny gave her a kiss, savoring the moment.

"Never. I would follow you to the ends of the earth. That's how much I care."

They talked for a while, mostly about what had happened since Danny left. Finally, Danny left, with the promise that he would keep in touch.

"I can't convince you to stay in Amity?" Sam asked.

"I'm a dead man, remember? It would be pretty hard to bring me back. I suppose we COULD find a way, but…I need to ponder on it some more."

"Then go ponder. I'll still be waiting."

Danny nodded and said his good-byes. He shifted back into ghost form and left the room, and the woman who taught him love, promising that it wouldn't be the last time.

Searching for the second room, he found it. It was less sparse than the last one, with some bouquets, cards, a few balloons, and oddly enough a teddy bear with 'Get Well Soon' written on the stomach. Danny didn't immediately look at the occupant of the bed, but made his presence known to the person reading in a nearby chair.

"That's the second time today I've walked in on someone reading."

Jazz practically tackled her younger brother in her zeal.

"I knew you would drop by after I read the article."

"Oddly, I haven't read it."

"You haven't read the article that exonerated you?" asked Jazz, eyebrow raised.

"I've been busy!"

"I've seen," said Jazz, pointing to the still-on television in the corner of the room, "Interesting friends you've picked up."

"Oh, they are…how's Mom?"

"She slips in and out, really. She's lucid for a couple of hours a day, and I've been telling her all about you and your adventures. I think they've helped. The intervals of lucidity get longer and closer together every week."

"Think she'll be 'awake' before I leave?"

A third voice interrupted them.

"And just where have you been, young man?"

Danny looked over at the bed and into the eyes of the woman who taught him compassion.

"New York City. With the Ghostbusters. You and Professor Spengler would have quite the scientific talks, I reckon."

Danny floated over and gave his mom a hug.

"My son, the hero. Your father would be so proud. Now, let me see those beautiful blue eyes."

Danny returned to human form, and Maddie paused, her finger tracing around his left eye.

"How did-"

"Plasmius. Don't worry. The 'busters and I made sure he won't be able to use his powers for evil again. He's probably still agonizing over it. I don't think we'll hear from him ever again."

"I can't believe he would-scratch that. Vlad was always a piece of scum. I don't know what Jack, bless his soul, ever saw in him."

"You know about…"

"Jazz told me."

Danny closed his eyes in thought.

"Maybe Dad saw someone who would go bad, and figured he could save him. But I think Vlad is beyond saving. I know everyone deserves a second chance, but after all the ills that…monster has wrought to everyone, including us…he used up that chance a LONG time ago."

"Well, put it out of your mind, Danny. The past is past."

Maddie's voice grew quiet.

"My ghost hunting days are past…"

"Mom-"

"Don't interrupt, Danny. Jack and I, we were a team. Not just in the lab, but in the field. Granted, he was better at creating the gadgets, but he could use them effectively some of the time. And my reflexes are shot. There's no chance I can do anymore field work. No…I need to pass on the torch…but not to you. Your place is with the people who took you in."

"How do you know-"

"I saw the news," said Maddie, pointing toward the TV, "I haven't seen you that happy, when it didn't involve Sam and Tucker, in a long time. Your sister and I will always be there for you, but they're what you need right now. Can't stay in Amity Park forever."

Danny was silent for a moment, then returned to ghost form with a voice full of conviction.

"I accept your blessing. I will be a Ghostbuster, and I will make you proud. Speaking of torches, I know who to pass it to. She's rough around the edges, but just needs some guidance…and an attitude adjustment, but beyond that, she'll be great. The Red Huntress."

Jazz smiled.

"I think I know JUST where to find her."

"If you find Wulf, he'll be a big help too. Just tell him I said to consider Amity Park his turf to help protect."

Danny floated toward Jazz and gave her a hug before turning toward the window. He paused, and looked back at the two women.

"I'll be in touch."

"Stay safe and happy, little brother."

"Good-bye, sweetie. And good luck."

Danny flew out of the hospital, only needing to make one more stop. As he flew, he remembered.

"_That's a weird looking suit, Dad."  
><em>"_It's not about what you wear, son. It's about what you do."_

"_Everyone is put on earth for a reason. What that is…that's up to us to figure out."  
><em>"_That sounds like it came from a Superman comic."  
><em>"_Words of wisdom are words of wisdom."_

"_Aren't you scared? I mean, they're GHOSTS!"  
><em>"_Danny-boy, let me tell you something my father told me about courage. It's not about having no fear. It's about facing fear, not letting it eat you up. A real man, a real hero, fights even though he might be scared. And I'm only afraid of losing my family. Not of ghosts."  
><em>"_But if a ghost came after us?"  
><em>"_Well, then I'd be terrified. But I wouldn't let that stop me from ripping it apart, molecule by molecule, for touching a single hair on your heads."_

"_Dad, tell me honestly. Do you think Phantom could ever be a hero?"  
><em>"_A _ghost_ being a hero?"  
><em>"_Just humor me…"  
><em>"_Well…I believe he could try. He could try to overcome the base instincts of ghosts and work toward a greater good. But if he ever did, he'd have a new problem. Becoming a symbol."  
><em>"_A symbol?"  
><em>"_A hero is supposed to set an example, inspire us to be better than ourselves. It's not enough to save lives, although that's important and praiseworthy. Being a hero means having to represent what we could be. It means having to be the light to show us the way. It means having to become hope for the hopeless. It means becoming something to look up to. Whether or not that happens is entirely up to Phantom."_

As the last memory flickered out, he touched down beside a grave: the grave of the man who taught him heroism.

"Hi, Dad…I still wonder if you knew. The day you…you know, you spoke to me. You said that you were proud of me, for everything. Whether you knew I was Danny Phantom or not, I just want to clarify that I've never done anything to abuse the gifts I've been given…aside from some pranks, but I can't think of anyone who wouldn't pull that once or twice."

Danny laughed lightly before sitting down.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. I know, you'd probably say that it wasn't my fault, but I can't help it. Jazz calls it a hero complex. I'm also sorry that I didn't tell you and Mom about my powers before, but…well, at first I was scared, but even after realizing that you would accept me, I kept it from you because I thought you would be better off not knowing. I won't make a mistake like that again. And I promise, you didn't die in vain. Vlad Masters might still be alive, but Plasmius is forever out of the equation."

Danny took a deep breath to recompose himself.

"I…don't really know what else I can say. If you see Tucker up there, tell him that he's been the best friend I could ever have asked for, and the closest thing to a brother I've ever known. I'll miss you both, more than you will ever know. But I have to move on, like you would have wanted me to."

Danny gave a small smile.

"They'll never replace the people I left in Amity Park, but the Ghostbusters are a brotherhood that calls to me. They're like family now, and I don't think I should keep them waiting anymore. See you later, Dad."

Danny lifted into the air, steering himself toward the meeting place. As he did, he thought he heard a voice on the wind…

_Keep up the good work, son. You make me proud._

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for the delay. Real life reared its ugly head.<em>

_How is it that this ended up much longer than any of my other chapters?_


	21. Home Again

_Because you guys had to wait so long, and because it's so short, here's a bonus!_

* * *

><p><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 21  
><span>Home Again<span>

Danny touched down on the outskirts of town, where the Ecto-5 was waiting. The others were waiting, with Roland and Egon running a pre-flight check.

"It's not the Ecto-1, but it's still an impressive piece of machinery," Roland was saying.

"I still want to open the engine components up and have a look," said Egon, "I find it truly fascinating."

"Well, Professor, you're in luck," said Danny, "My mom is recovering great, and I'm sure I can set up a little phone chat between you two. A meeting of the minds?"

"That would be great."

"Better not let Janine know," Garrett mumbled, "She might get jealous."

"Did you get a chance to talk to Sam?" Kylie asked Danny.

"The doctors expect her to make a full recovery, with the exception of her eye, which seems to have the same problems mine does, and her legs."

"Wait," said Garrett, "You mean she's…"

Garrett patted his own leg.

"Pretty much. Doesn't bother me though," replied Danny, "I fell in love with a strong woman. I'm confident she'll bounce back."

"Ain't handicapped, it handi-capable, am I right?"

"When you're right, you're right. And we're going to keep in touch. Regular phone-calls, video-chats when possible, all that jazz."

"Well, I applaud you for making a relationship work," said Roland, while casting a pointed glace at Eduardo.

"Still, long-distance relationship," said Kylie, "That'll be difficult."

"We're up for it, and we're dedicated," Danny countered, "We have something golden, and I'll be damned if I let it slip away. Same on her end. She knows what it's like to be alone. You know, she used to keep everyone at arm's length. But that changed with me and Tucker, rest his soul. And she's never regretted the decision to let us in. Nor has either of us regretted sharing our feelings. After what felt like forever at having awkward romantic tension between us, it was a big release when it finally came out. And things just progressed from there."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. The only regrets we have are that it took us so long to realize it."

Kylie sat back, the words bouncing around her mind. The situation Danny had described was familiar.

Danny tried to hide a smirk. Such hints were going to be commonplace until Kylie and Eduardo admitted it. It was the least he could do to help. After all, the Ghostbusters had taken him in when he had nothing, given him a new home and purpose.

He was one of them now, and he liked it.

**oOo**

The castle-like mansion in Wisconsin had definitely seen better days. While much of the damage seemed confined to the front foyer, the building was still in serious need of repair.

But the master of the house was sulking. Everything that he had worked for was now stripped from him. Maddie was out of reach, Phantom and the Ghostbusters were too powerful, and his powers, the things that had secured his fortune and his status in the human world and the Ghost Zone, were _gone_.

The sting of that last one was particularly vile. While he was still half-ghost, for the most part, he was unable to access his powers. His ecto-signature had taken a severe blow. It was weaker than the Box Ghost now. And in this state, trying to recharge his powers with the Crown of Fire would be too dangerous.

So, as he sat in the dark of his laboratory, Vlad Masters grit his teeth in anger. It had all gone so WRONG.

But while his powers were gone, his mind was still as sharp as ever.

Vlad tapped a few keys on his computer. An image of Danny Phantom, as Vlad had known him, graced the screen.

"You think this is over, Phantom? You think you have won? I may be powerless, but I am NOT helpless. The game is not done. The rules have merely changed. This is FAR from over."

**oOo**

The ride back to New York was uneventful, and carried none of the foreboding that the previous trip had. If anything, the tone inside the Ecto-5 had bordered on elation.

But there was still one more surprise in store.

The Ghostbusters arrived back at the firehouse, tired but victorious.

"Hey, where's Janine?" asked Eduardo.

Sure enough, Janine was not at her usual spot at the front desk. However, she soon came out of the basement, and upon seeing the returning group, she ran over and hugged Egon.

"All hail the conquering heroes!" she said, "Plasmius isn't going to be an issue?"

"Not anymore," replied Egon, "I won't go into the gory details, but suffice it to say, he won't be accessing his powers anytime soon."

"And everyone's home safe and sound," said Danny, leaving out the part about Tucker. That could wait, for awhile at least.

"So, what's the deal with you?" Janine asked Danny.

"I'm here to stay," he replied with a smile, "You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm where I belong, where I need to be…right here."

"Well, that's good. Because I have something for you."

Janine walked over to her desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a few items. Danny's eyes fell upon the patch of cloth.

"Finished it last night," said Janine, "I remembered how you said your jumpsuit inverted colors when you got your powers, and we've all seen your trench coat, so I prepared it accordingly."

"Is that…"

Janine nodded. Danny looked around the room, seeing smiles on everyone's faces. Kylie gave him a small hug.

"You've earned it, Danny."

Danny smiled and took off his coat. Janine immediately got to work, sewing the patch upon the upper part of the right arm. When she was finished, she handed the coat back to Danny, who put it back on.

"Now comes the hard part," Danny said.

He willed his ectoplasm to flow into the coat, triggering his transformation a mere second after seeing some of the color bleach away. Within the space of three seconds, he stood in his ghost form, the coat now a permanent part of it.

But there was another change. Sewn onto the upper part of the right arm, a symbol stood out. It was the same symbol that hung proudly outside the door and on the arms of his comrades/friends/family.

A badge of honor.

He traced his fingers over it. The field of black that his badge stood against, to make it stand out against his white coat. The red circle and line. The white splotch of a stereotypical spirit.

He turned and took in the smiling faces of the others. His partners, his family, the ones who healed the scars and let him smile again.

Danny spoke three words, and his heart did somersaults. It was official now.

He was home.

"I'm a Ghostbuster."

* * *

><p><em>I've been waiting to show you guys this LiveVideo page until the right moment. THAT TIME IS NOW! Delete the spaces:<em>

.com /video/ 1DDDEA8B2F1F46A9 9459E9337569 BD8F/ ghostbusters. aspx

_NOT the end…_


	22. Tales of Suspense

_AND I'M BACK!_

_I don't own any of the characters of Marvel Comics, just as we've already established that I don't own any of the characters of Danny Phantom or Ghostbusters._

_I had a lot of fun planning this…_

* * *

><p><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 22  
><span>Tales of Suspense<span>

"Only in New York," Roland grumbled as he fired off a proton stream.

It had scarcely been two days since the return from Amity Park and Danny Phantom's formal induction into the Ghostbusters. But Danny wasn't on this bust. The sight in his left eye, already bad from the scarring at the hands of Plasmius, had deteriorated further. Danny had traveled into the Ghost Zone for help from the scientists and doctors of the Far Frozen, a realm in the Zone that was home to a race of peaceful yeti-like ghosts. Danny was on good terms with them, and hoped that they would be able to do something.

The other Ghostbusters were starting to regret his trip.

Not even an hour had passed since Danny left when the call came in about an orange rock-monster tearing things up on Delancey Street. If the extreme strength weren't enough, the monstrosity seemed to have a resistance to their proton streams, courtesy of its rock-like hide.

"Is that all you got?" the creature shouted, "My Aunt Petunia hits harder!"

"Why does this guy seem familiar?" asked Garrett.

"You can't beat me! I've got the home field advantage. This is MY turf! Now, let me show you how we do it on YANCY STREET!"

The thing felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned his head to see a white-haired teen with a cocked fist.

"Greetings from Illinois!"

**WHAM!**

The creature was knocked back several feet from the blow. The newcomer hissed and shook his fist.

"Ow! That was…OW!"

"Danny!" shouted Kylie, "About time you got here!"

"What's with the specs?" asked Garrett, referring to the wrap-around glasses that now adorned Danny's face.

"The doctors couldn't really do much, but they stopped any more deterioration," Danny explained hurriedly, "Had to get glasses, though. More later!"

Danny threw several beams of energy at the monster, who took the blows with only a grunt.

"Yeah, it's been doing that," said Eduardo, "We've barely made a dent. Maybe your Wail?"

"In an enclosed space like this?" countered Danny, spreading his arms to motion to the narrow street they were on.

"Point."

"Your ecto-blasts seemed to have a better reaction than our beams," said Roland, firing in a vain attempt to slow the golem down, "If you can find a breach in its defenses-"

"I got a better idea," replied Danny, "Get ready to throw the trap."

He flew toward the monster, ducking under its blows and laying several ecto-bombs around it. Flipping out of the way, he snapped his fingers, detonating the bombs and sending the creature straight up into the air. Acting quickly, Kylie slid out the trap, catching the monster in the vortex as it fell.

The Ghostbusters breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I came into the battle late here," said Danny, "Someone want to tell me why I just slugged THE THING of the FANTASTIC FOUR?"

"I thought he seemed familiar," said Garrett.

"Oh MAN! Tell me the other three aren't lurking around here," said Eduardo, looking to and fro, "Because I do _not_ want to tangle with that fire guy."

"The Human Torch," Danny deadpanned, "Did blue-eyes leave a PKE trail?"

"If he did, it's got a real short half-life," said Kylie, consulting her meter, "I've got next to nothing."

"Great…"

"On a side note, those glasses look pretty sharp," said Roland.

"But you do know they might break, right?" asked Garrett, "You could have gotten contacts."

"Yeah, forgive me if I'm not jumping at something that I have to _stick in my_ _eye_," Danny deadpanned, "Anyway, the doctors at the Far Frozen whipped these up. They're virtually indestructible, made of a metal called Pariah's Ore and some specially designed ghostly ice. They use the combo all the time over there. They even say that they'll morph with me, changing shape depending on my form."

"Cool," said Eduardo.

The group made their way back to the Ecto-1, and as Roland opened the door, the CV radio went off.

"Egon here, please respond."

"What's up, Egon?" Roland answered.

"We have another disturbance…one you need to see to believe."

**oOo**

"Raise your hands if this sits well with you," said Danny.

No one raised their hands.

"Thought so."

Egon was right. They DID have to see it to believe it. After all, it's not every day, even in a weird job like this, that you came face to face with _Captain America_.

Nor was it every day where you had to _beat up_ Captain America.

"I'll try to get his shield away, then you guys blast him," said Danny.

"Right," said Kylie.

"Jeez. It just seems _wrong_ blasting Captain America," said Roland, "This guy was a real hero to me as a kid."

"Just be glad we aren't dealing with Superman."

"Kylie, for the love of God, _don't jinx it!_" said Eduardo.

Danny rushed forward, trying to surprise the ghost in order to strip him of his shield. But, unfortunately, this ghost didn't just LOOK like Captain America.

He moved like him too.

The Captain swung his shield, slamming Danny head-on before striking his side with his other hand, then grabbing Danny and flipping him over onto the ground.

"Ow…"

Danny rolled back to his feet, only to duck as another punch came at him. Captain America flashed out with his shield, and Danny flew backward to dodge.

"Okay, maybe if I stay out of punching range, I can get a chance to-"

Then he threw it. He threw the shield, the symbol, right at Danny. It rammed right into his chest, knocking him away and to the ground. The shield ricocheted off a building before Cap caught it and slid it back onto his arm in one smooth motion.

"And again, ow…okay, new plan…"

Danny phased into the ground and attempted to blindside Captain America. Keyword: attempted. He was kissing metal before he could blink. As he flew back, he was glad to know that his glasses passed the indestructible test.

Danny pulled himself out of the wall, shaking his head.

'This isn't working,' he thought, 'I can't beat this guy man-to-man…wait a minute. Man-to-man. He hasn't used any ghost powers. Just moves you would expect from Captain America. The Thing was just that too…the Thing! No other fancy powers, just a literal copy made of ectoplasm…no actual ghost powers used…which means I don't have to fight this guy man-to-man…but man-to-GHOST.'

Danny rose into the air, energized his fists, and came surging downward. As expected, the copy-Cap blocked with his shield, but Danny was ready. Instead of struggling against the shield, he sank down and spun, lashing his leg out and knocking the Captain off balance. As he was recovering, Danny unleashed a point-blank ecto-beam, knocking his opponent back.

As expected, Captain America got back up, but Danny had made a hit. The first of many.

"Now it's a party," said Danny.

Cap charged forward, dodging Danny's volley before leaping up and lashing out with a kick. Danny expected this and turned intangible. It wouldn't have worked too well on a normal ghost. At best, Danny would have still felt a painful tingle as the ghost's own energy field crossed with Danny's. But Danny felt nothing, which only brought move evidence to the theory that they were not dealing with normal ghosts.

Still, just because it wasn't a normal ghost didn't mean Danny could relax. This was supposed to be Captain America, one of the best fighters in Marvel Comics, if not _the best_, which was saying something. Danny knew he wasn't **nearly** skilled enough to beat him.

So, he had to cheat.

Danny's hands glowed blue, and he fired off several beams of energy. Cap, of course, dodged them easily, leaping around the bolts like a spring.

Only upon the end of the barrage did the copy realize that Danny hadn't been aiming at him.

The area around him was covered in ice. Very slippery ice. Danny flew forward with a punch. Cap, realizing that he couldn't dodge with the ice around him, raised his shield instead.

Just what Danny wanted.

Just like reaching into his locker intangibly when he had gone to school, Danny phased his fist through Cap's shield, then solidified _just_ the fist. The end result was an intangible arm reaching through the shield and attached to a solid fist…

As well as a whopper of a headache for the Captain. He flew back, but lost his grip on the shield, which was stuck on Danny's arm.

"NOW!" shouted Danny.

Proton streams lanced out, slamming into the copy of Captain America. After a minute of continuous blasts, Kylie reached for her trap, but something strange happened.

Captain America turned to smoke and was cast away into the wind. His shield vanished as he did.

Silence.

"Well, that was a waste of gas," said Eduardo.

"Kylie, is the trap still occupied?" asked Danny.

Kylie checked it and nodded.

"Open it."

"But-"

"Just open it!"

Kylie did hesitantly, only for smoke to come out instead of a copy of the Thing.

"Thought so…"

**oOo**

"Fascinating. The creatures you described seem to be somewhere between ghost and ectoplasmic emanation," said Egon.

"What's the difference, again?" asked Eduardo.

"A ghost is, for the most part, a solid entity. An ecto-emanation is pure ecto-energy, with no solid form. The proton streams can't affect the latter, but at the same time, they cannot exist on their own. Not without a ghost creating them."

"Can't have a puppet without a puppet master, I get you," said Danny, now in human form with his new glasses resembling a wire-rimmed variety, "And whoever is doing it is using comic book characters as a base."

"And he's getting better," said Roland, "Captain America is MUCH tougher than the Thing. What happens if we run into the Hulk?"

"Depends. Can you rig up a device that can nullify gamma radiation?"

"Cute, Danny," said Garrett, "Meanwhile, these things leave practically _no_ PKE trail, so we can't track down the puppet master. Can it get worse?"

"Most likely," said Egon, "We have to assume, especially from the destruction caused by the emanations, particularly the Thing, that the force behind them is malevolent. Looking at that, we can safely conclude that these two may have just been tests."

Everyone but Danny went silent with shock.

"Murphy's Law, people," said Danny, "Learn it and _fear it_."

"Are you saying that we might be dealing with super-_villains_ next time?" asked Eduardo.

"Possibly," said Egon.

"Oh MAN! I don't want to deal with Magneto!"

"This situation could be a ticking bomb," said Roland, "We _need_ to find where these things are coming from. There has to be a pattern…"

"Just so long as we don't have to face BATMAN," said Danny, "I _really_ don't want to tangle with _him_."

"Why? It's not like he has any crazy powers, right?" asked Garrett.

"Garrett," said Kylie, "He…doesn't…flipping…NEED THEM."

"He could literally beat us to a pulp, no matter what we were packing," said Danny, "I'd rather face Magneto. Or _Wolverine_. We'd have a better chance with them then against BATMAN."

"I'm going with Danny and Kylie," said Eduardo, "I've seen some of the stuff the Bat can do, and there is no chance in heck we could beat him if he comes lurking."

"Regardless of that, it is imperative that you battle whatever comes next," said Egon, "And if you do, you need to capture it with Danny's ice the second you get an opening. The ice should temporarily stabilize the creatures long enough for me to find a trail to follow."

"So, freeze it, then bring it back," said Danny, "Sounds like belling the cat."

**oOo**

They didn't hear anything more until the next day. When the team got to the site, they saw a group of youths in the same uniforms, blue with a large yellow stripe running horizontally down the middle. The first wore a strange visor. The second had large hands and feet. The third was a red-haired girl. The fourth had large, white, bird-like wings coming from his back. The fifth was the only one without a uniform, and he looked to be a man made of ice.

"The X-Men," said Danny.

"Where's Wolverine then?" asked Garrett.

"Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth. This is the original team. They adventured over a decade before Wolverine was even thought of. You know Cyclops. Bigfoot over there is Beast, before his fur grew in. The girl is Jean Grey, then going by Marvel Girl. Shoot her first. Over there is Iceman, and the winged guy is Angel. Since none of you can fly, I'll take him, then join you guys once that's done."

As Danny flew forward and tackled the hovering Angel, the Ghostbusters concentrated their fire on Marvel Girl, incinerating the copy.

"Oops," said Garrett, "That wasn't supposed to happen."

Beast leaped forward, a snarl on his face. The Ghostbusters reacted instinctively, but unfortunately, they all fired again, their combined proton energies incinerating Beast as well.

"Okay, no more combined blasts!" said Roland, "Eddie, Kylie, stick to Iceman. Garrett, you're with me on Cyclops."

"Good, because Goggles is aiming!" shouted Garrett, firing at the same time as Cyclops.

The ruby-red beam collided with the proton stream, and the two energies struggled against each other. Roland added his stream to Garrett's, successfully driving Cyclops' beam back and knocking him flat on his back.

Meanwhile, Danny was engaging in an aerial dogfight with Angel. Knowing that Angel was a master hand-to-hand combatant in the air, Danny kept his distance, relying on his ecto-beams and maneuvers Angel couldn't duplicate. While Angel was an ace flier, Danny didn't have to rely on flapping wings, enabling him to pull off turns and aerial tricks that Angel couldn't duplicate without breaking his wings.

After much dodging on each of their parts, Danny fired a powerful beam of energy, nailing Angel in his wing and forcing the copy into a tailspin. Unfortunately, Danny lost sight of the copy and was forced to break off back to his teammates.

Meanwhile, Kylie and Eduardo were still trying to get a shot on Iceman, who continued to erect walls of ice to block the proton streams. Kylie motioned for Eduardo to work his way around their foe. Eduardo nodded and proceeded to sneak past while Kylie kept Iceman busy, moving in an opposite direction. Iceman took the bait, turning to follow Kylie and keep his shields up, allowing Eduardo to sneak into his blind spot.

Spying a fire hydrant, Eduardo got an idea. Since Danny couldn't exactly freeze this one, maybe they could take his icy form apart and bring the largest piece to Egon, letting Danny keep it cold. So, Eduardo shot the side valve of the hydrant behind Iceman.

A wall of water surged forth, decking both Iceman and Kylie, the former of whom began to melt away like an ice cube that had water poured on it.

Danny touched down then, having lost Angel.

"Danny, grab a piece of ice and fly it to Egon. GO!"

"Going!" said Danny, grabbing a large piece of the slush formerly known as Iceman and tossing Eduardo his Fenton Thermos.

"For Cyclops. Just in case."

Danny flew off as Roland ran up.

"Where's Danny going? We have Cyclops on the ropes!"

"Here!" said Eduardo, tossing the thermos to Roland, "Suck him in. Danny's heading back to the firehouse with a chunk of Iceman."

Roland nodded and sped back toward where Garrett was keeping Cyclops busy. Eduardo walked over to the soaked Kylie and helped her up.

"Sorry about the soaker, Ky."

"Forget it. It worked. Just find me a towel."

Eduardo nodded, then suddenly began to stare at her.

"What?"

"Nothing! I've just…never seen you without make-up."

"Does that bother you?" asked Kylie, eyebrow raised.

"Well, said the man trying to put this in a way that wouldn't get him hurt, no, it's just interesting."

For whatever reason, they both felt their pulses quicken after that exchange. Of course, the reason wasn't exactly a mystery, but they weren't quite ready to admit it. _Yet_.

Meanwhile, Danny went as fast as he dared back to the firehouse. In his glowing-blue hands lay a large chunk of ice.

Danny prayed that they would get something out of it.

* * *

><p><em>A word about the title. It's a reference to a venerable series published by Marvel from 1959 to 1968. At first dealing in sci-fi and horror, it began to regularly feature superheroes, just like the rest of the company's titles. It was the birthplace of Iron Man, who continued to be a series regular until its end, and it later provided the platform for Captain America's reintroduction to the world following his revival in the pages of the Avengers comic.<em>

_I'm a comic geek, I can't help it._

_I think you guys may have noticed that this was longer than usual. Well, from now on, I'm going to try to put all my story arcs into one or two chapters. I've seen stories following a similar format as mine do it, so I thought I'd to the same. Seemed more professional._

_Speaking of arcs, we're coming to the second major stage of this story. The first was Danny relocating to a new city and throwing off the shadow of Plasmius. This arc will concern him establishing himself as a Ghostbuster and eventually dealing with Vlad's return. But I don't want to give too much more away._

_And as another fun fact, Delancey Street is a real street in Manhatten's Lower East Side, and was the reference to the Yancy Street of the comics._


	23. DOOMED

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 23  
><span>DOOMED<span>

"Again, only in New York," Roland grumbled, this time in response to the various wires poked into the supernatural piece of ice.

"What we have here is not too dissimilar from a Class 1 Swarmer," Egon said, "Swarmers are very weak on their own, but a more dangerous force in swarms, hence the name. Always controlled by a more powerful ghost, they possess ordinary objects as corporeal bodies, but are easily disrupted and dispersed into nothingness."

"Which is why we vaporized Beast and Marvel Girl so easily," said Garrett, "And why Danny lost track of Angel after that tailspin."

"Precisely. Now, this isn't EXACTLY like a Swarmer, but it's closer to a ghost than the Thing and Captain America were."

"So next time, we'll probably be facing actual ghosts," said Eduardo.

"There won't be a next time," said Danny, "Egon's isolated the signature enough for us to track. We're ending this NOW before this guy can make any more comic characters pop up."

"Then what are we still sitting around for?" asked Garrett, "Let's get 'em!"

**oOo**

"Lovely place…not."

"You done, Garrett?" asked Kylie.

"Yeah, I'm good."

"He's right, though," said Roland, "Wonder how long it's been since the last time this building was repaired…"

"Least the floor is okay," said Danny.

"You're floating, man. So it's kind of moot," countered Garrett.

"True."

"I'm getting a reading," said Kylie, "The source is behind this door."

"Then stand back," said Eduardo, stepping forward.

In a flash, he had thrown his weight at the door, which flung open with a crack.

"I usually do that," said Garrett.

"Not enough room," replied Eduardo, arming his thrower.

The rest of the team filed in, ready for anything. 'Anything' apparently didn't include the weasel of a man in the swivel chair pouring over a few comic books. The man swiveled about, a crazed look on his face.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Ghostbusters," said the man in a nasally voice, "Allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Ques. Or, alternatively, your end."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Roland.

"My powers have evolved. My creations are not only full ghosts, but sentient to the point were they are just like the original sources…except for the part where they answer to me, of course."

"Then you know that if you whip up any more heroes, they won't fight us to the finish," countered Garrett, "Answering to you doesn't mean they'll kill for you. It just isn't in them!"

"True," replied Ques, bringing a pair of comics from behind him, "The heroes _would_ be limited in what I could to with them. But if I can't win with heroes, I'll use _villains!_"

His hands glowed brightly, and in a flash, a hulking black figure stood before them. A massive white spider splayed across his chest, and he stared at the Ghostbusters with beady white eyes within large white splotches. Then he roared, long tongue lashing in and around his dagger-like teeth.

"Oh, lovely," said Eduardo, bringing his thrower to bear.

"I wouldn't," said Ques suddenly, "You can stay and handle my little friend, or you can take on my _second_ creation, who is currently tearing up Times Square. Which is more important? Stopping me or saving innocents?"

"That's not far from here," said Danny, "You guys go. I'll handle this and join you as soon as I can."

"But-" Garrett began, but Danny cut him off.

"GO!"

"Come on, we're wasting time," said Kylie.

The rest of the Ghostbusters left Danny to face the monster alone. Which was just how Danny wanted it. He knew things were about to get messy, and he was probably the only one truly equipped to deal with what they were facing. Danny would finish this quickly, then aid the others.

And the good news was, since his ghost sense went off, he knew exactly what he was dealing with.

"You are a fool," said Ques, "You think you can face the might of Venom alone?"

"Venom? Questionable," replied Danny before lighting his fists, "But I can take _Mac Gargan_ in my sleep. Should have sprung for someone stronger."

Venom, angered by the blatant remark, charged forward with a roar. Danny easily side-stepped him, sending a blast of energy at Venom's back for good measure.

"MacDonald 'Mac' Gargan. Formerly the Scorpion. Current master of the Venom symbiote. Still a hot-headed _chump_ with no creativity."

Venom charged back into the room, tendrils of his symbiote flying toward Danny. In a flash, Danny had separated his torso from his legs, allowing the tendrils to pass harmlessly through the mist that connected him. Venom only nicked the bottom of Danny's trench coat with his attack.

"How'd you do that?" asked Venom, shocked and confused.

"Ghostly secret," replied Danny, allowing Venom to think it was a standard defensive tactic. In reality, it wasn't a trick Danny used often.

Venom growled and shot several balls of black webbing at Danny, who fired a barrage of ecto-beams to counter. Some of the beams destroyed the balls, and the rest slammed into Gargan.

"See, this is what I was saying about no creativity," said Danny, "That was stolen straight from Spider-man. Your last attack came right out of Doc Ock's playbook. You're pathetic, Gargan. I guess once a C-list, always a C-list."

"**C-list?**" shouted Venom, "Who are you calling C-list? Do you see this power I have? I'm an A-lister without a doubt! And I'm also the scariest thing in this crummy city! Scarier than any ghost, BOY."

"Bull. The powers you have don't make you A-list. It's how you use them, too. And dude? YOU STINK!"

Danny waved his hand in front his nose to punctuate this. Venom shook with anger, which was just what Danny wanted. Angry made him sloppy.

Luckily, it didn't take much to set Gargan off.

Venom leapt forward, mouth wide and ready to tear into Danny.

"EAT YOUR BRAINS!"

"Three things, fang-face. One, get a breath mint."

While Danny had been talking, he had been discreetly charging an ice blast from behind his back. When Venom leapt, he released the powerful blast. It nailed Venom's face, blowing him back and freezing his jaws together.

"Two, Eddie Brock is the only REAL Venom. You, Mac Gargan, are a low-level thug even WITH the Venom symbiote. I think Spider-man said it best: 'A loser dressed like Venom is still a **freakin' loser**!' And three…"

Danny charged up a powerful beam of energy and let it loose. The physical copy of Mac Gargan never knew what hit him.

"I've seen scarier."

Before Venom could rise again, he was engulfed in a beam of blue. Danny recapped the Fenton Thermos and shook it in the stunned Ques' direction.

"Like I said, should have gone with someone stronger. Now, if I had been fighting Juggernaut, then you might have won. But I wasn't, so you didn't."

"You don't think I can't summon Juggernaut right now?" asked Ques, reaching for a stack of comics.

"You probably could. But you won't, for two reasons. One, you need your comics to perform a summoning, which I won't let you have."

Danny had crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat and stood between Ques and the comics.

"And two, I bet you ALSO need a human host to work your magic."

Danny reached an intangible hand into his opponent and began to pull. Within moments, the human was unconscious and on the ground, and Danny was holding a snake-like form.

"How?" asked the form, the true Ques.

"I can sense the presence of ghosts, genius. It's how I knew what to do with Gargan, and it's how I knew who was REALLY behind this little story. Now, into the thermos you go. Next stop, the Containment Unit."

"You may have beaten me, but my creations still live!" shouted Ques as he vanished.

Danny didn't need to be told twice. In a flash, he had phased out of the building and was flying toward Times Square.

**oOo**

"Of all the villains we had to face," said Roland "It just HAD to be _HIM!_"

His comrades laying around him, stunned, Roland looked up to see their foe. He had taken them all down, and all they managed to do was take out his force field generator and a missile launcher.

Their foe loomed large over Roland, a single metal gauntlet charging energy for a finishing blow.

Suddenly, a beam of brilliant green knocked the armor-clad man back. The five fighters looked up to see a serious-looking Danny Phantom.

Danny took in his new opponent. The green tunic and cape over metal armor were unmistakable, but it was the metal mask that truly drove home who this was.

"Victor von Doom. Should have guessed."

"So you know of me," replied Doom, "I am afraid I cannot say the same. Tell me: are you allies to these…children?"

"We ain't that young," Garrett mumbled.

"Silence! Doom speaks."

"You done?" asked Danny, "To answer your question, I am a part of the group, and I'm proud of it. You mess with them…you mess with ME! And you don't want to mess with me…"

"FOOL! I am DOOM! I will not be denied, nor frightened by some weak BOY with white hair."

"Doc, there are only a few things that tick me off. Messing with the people I care about is one of those things. And people don't seem to like me when I get ANGRY."

Danny opened up with a large ecto-blast. Doom blocked as best he could with his forearms, since the other Ghostbusters had taken out his shield. The assault stopped suddenly, and Doom found that his opponent was gone.

"Now where did you go?"

His answer came in the form of an uppercut flying up from the ground, which sent Doom skyward. Danny flew up above Doom and sent him back down with a crushing axe handle blow.

But Doom recovered quickly and sent a barrage of energy blasts at Danny, who weaved around them the same way he had against Venom.

"You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses," Danny mocked.

Doom fired a large blast, which Danny stretched around.

"You couldn't hit a guy with glasses."

Doom, summoned his remaining missile launcher from a hidden panel on his shoulder, firing a burst, which Danny took out midair with a blast from his ice powers.

"In fact, you couldn't hit the broad side of a BARN!"

"You _dare_ to mock DOOM?"

"Oh, I dare. I mock, I'm a mocker. Watch me mock. Mock, mock, mock, mock."

"You are as annoying as the Torch or that wall-crawler," Doom grumbled.

"I'll take that as a compliment," replied Danny, taking a bow.

Doom used that chance to try and shoot Danny's blind spot. But Danny knew that Doom would try to attack while he was bowing, and erected a green shield that reflected the energy blast back at Doom. Doom quickly dodged the attack, but Danny just chuckled.

"Having problems, Vic? Maybe this isn't your day."

"You WILL respect me!" Doom retorted, punctuating it with another energy blast.

Danny dodged and fired his own back, which Doom again weathered. Danny then spoke seriously.

"I _do _respect you, Victor. Just not on the battlefield. You're a schemer, Doom. You make grandiose plans and create machines and all manner of gadgetry. But in a head-to-head fight, you stink! You have others do your dirty work, be it your little tin toys or other villains. But to go into battle yourself? It just isn't you. I respect that you're a planner and inventor, Doom. But a fighter? _Not a chance_."

Danny let that sink in, then grinned again, taking another potshot at Doom's ego.

"Now, if you were Magneto, then I'd be _properly screwed_."

Doom roared with rage and unleashed another barrage of energy blasts, which Danny either dodged or reflected.

"Why don't you fight like a man?"

"Better idea, Doom. Why don't _you_ fight like a _ghost_?"

Danny vanished, leaving Doom to dart is eyes to and fro, suit's sensors tuned for any sign of his elusive opponent.

He didn't find Danny. Danny's fist found his face, catapulting the mad scientist back several feet before Doom recovered. Danny came in for another round, turning visible, but Doom caught his fist and threw his own punch, catching Danny in the stomach.

Doom's suit enhanced his strength, so the blow hurt. A lot.

But Danny still found the strength to catch Doom's own fist, leading to a power struggle. For the moment, they were evenly matched, but Doom had another trick up his sleeve, in the form of a powerful electric charge that ran over the surface of his suit and into Danny.

Danny was blown back from the attack, electricity sparking across his form. Doom strode toward the hunched over teen, gauntlets glowing for a powerful attack.

"Now, you will _kneel_ before_ Doom!_"

"Well…since you're stealing movie quotes…"

Danny threw out a small ball of ecto-energy, which exploded in a blinding flash. Doom realized that it was a distraction a quarter of a second after it went off, but by then, it was too late.

"SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!"

Doom was punched several yards away by the force of the blow to his face, his hood actually flying off his head. While he had been approaching, Danny had hid one hand from him, glowing blue with ice power as he hurriedly crafted a large gauntlet of ice. It was hurriedly crafted, but strong enough to rattle Doom inside his armor when applied with Danny's strength. The flash bomb had merely given Danny an opening to finish making the weapon and launch his attack.

Danny took the opportunity to let the rest of himself catch up before tapping the gauntlet, which collapsed into snow at his command. He then charged up a large energy blast and waited for the right moment. As Doom rose and charged up his missile launcher again, Danny acted, blasting the device off, the energy whizzing past Doom's head close enough for him to feel it.

"You know, I was kind of serious about the whole 'fight like a ghost' thing," said Danny, "If you could use any ghost powers, this might be a fairer fight on your part."

"BAH! You are deluded. I am no ghost."

"Doom, let's be serious here. You aren't real. You're a comic book character given form via ectoplasmic power. You're a sad imitation at best. We've already beaten the other guys made. You're the last man standing, and frankly, that isn't because of any skill."

"Oh?" replied Doom, "Then explain how I beat your comrades?"

"Did they go down easily? And to their credit, they did take out your shield, something I bet doesn't happen often. They may have been a bit over their heads with you, but only because they aren't used to dealing with your kind of opponent. I am. But they can learn from their mistakes. In fact, do you notice something missing?"

Doom looked around, taking in his surroundings. Times Square had seen better days, with rubble strewn about the—

"Wait. Where did they go?"

"Exactly," Danny said with a smile, "So, what do you say to one more shot at me before going to find them. I'll even stand real still for you."

Doom was no fool. He knew that his opponent had something prepared, and he wasn't about to fall for it.

"No deal. I will not underestimate you again."

Danny shrugged.

"Oh well. Can't win them—LOOK! REED RICHARDS!"

"WHAT?" shouted Doom, spinning around. As soon as he did, one thought went through his head.

'Did I _really_ just fall for that?'

But it was too late. Danny conjured a wave of intense cold, hitting Doom in the back and covering his whole form with frost.

"Science lesson, one you probably already know," said Danny, "When a piece of solid matter, in this case metal, is rapidly switched from one extreme temperature to another, the result is…well, bad for the metal anyway. You may be insulated from the electricity from that little stunt earlier, but it still heated up the surface of your armor something _fierce_. Now, with a sudden switch from hot to _extreme_ cold, that metal is now brittle. Particularly with the cold I just hit you with. It's not my coldest, but it's still pretty close to the average temperature of _liquid nitrogen_."

Doom turned and looked at his opponent in the eye. And in a moment, he understood something that his ego hadn't let him understand before.

This teenager—this MAN—would not yield. He would now bow. He would not give up. Doom had a superior intellect, but this powerful foe had a will Doom could NEVER break.

"Who _are _you?"

"I'm Danny Phantom. I'm a Ghostbuster."

The whine of Proton Packs pierced the air, and Doom found himself surrounded by the very people he had thought beaten.

"I believe you've met my colleagues," finished Danny, "But that's just a polite term, honestly. We're not just a team ghost fighters, we're _family_. You attack one of us, you attack ALL of us. If one of us goes down, the others come running. That was your mistake, Doom. You didn't count on any back-up for your foes, didn't think that someone wouldn't seek retribution. In this case, that someone was me."

"He's our secret weapon," Eduardo interjected.

"Quite so. And I don't care if the villains of the week are ghosts, goblins, zombies, vampires, or even psychos who have walked out of _freaking comic books_! They all burn the same."

Emerald energies crackled to life in Danny's hands, itching to be unleashed.

"'Nuff said."

Ectoplasmic energy surged forth, slamming Doom in the chest. Four streams of hot proton energy followed, and Doom's screams of pain were silenced by a vortex of cool blue.

"Thus endeth the lesson," said Danny, capping the thermos.

"You know, there are probably people who saw that," said Roland, "This IS Times Square, after all. Your days of helping from the shadows are over, you know."

"My name is clear. There's no need to stay in them. If I'm going to be a Ghostbuster, I need to BE a Ghostbuster. That means dealing with the public."

"I thought you were camera shy?" asked Kylie.

"HA! That's a good one! Too bad I don't have one of those camera phones on me. We could test that!"

Danny's face fell and he glared at Garrett.

"Garrett, I tell you this as a close friend and brother-in-arms: BITE ME."

* * *

><p><em>I did good, didn't I? It's clear that I don't like Mac Gargan as Venom, isn't it? I unfortunately can't tell you the exact issue number where Spidey said that line, but I'm quite sure it exists.<em>

_And to those of you who say that Danny's fight with Doctor Doom was a bit one-sided, you have to understand something about Doom: _he doesn't do hand to hand._ Like I stated in the chapter, he plots and invents. If you look back on his appearances in comics and other media (aside from the movies, because it wasn't very true to the character), you will notice that it's all gadgetry, playing puppet-master, and moves he clearly ripped off from Iron Man. He doesn't throw haymakers or perform feats of martial artistry. In fact, if you look at his file on the Marvel Comics Database (a wikia), you will find that NOWHERE does it say anything about that kind of fighting skill. It says it on Cap's, it says it on Wolverine's, it says it on Thor's, it says it on Spidey's, it even says it on Iron Man's, and we all know he still relies on his tech for just about everything._

_Against a powerful and driven opponent like Danny with his defensive measures halved and his ego causing him to underestimate his opponent, Doom stood little chance._

_And again, this isn't even the real Victor von Doom. If it was, Danny would have had a much more difficult time._


	24. New Old Faces

**I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts**

Chapter 24  
><span>NewOld Faces

"Well, this place hasn't changed much," said the red-haired woman, eyeing the firehouse, "Hope there isn't an explosion like last time. Hard to believe that it's been so many years since that Slimer story."

She walked in and headed toward the front desk. Spotting a somewhat-familiar head of red hair, she smiled.

"Well there's a familiar face," she said.

Janine looked up from her paper in confusion, which soon gave way to recognition.

"Cynthia Crawford, right? When I got the message, I wasn't sure if it was real. Haven't seen you since the Slimer story. The years just fly by. You're still in business with UBN News?"

"Switched to the New York Post after the network gave me my gold watch."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't be. I'm actually glad. It gives me more opportunity to use my writing skills, and I guess after all those years, I got tired of the camera."

"I suppose you want to see Egon, right?"

"Yes. And this time is a real switch. The paper sent me because I had experience with the Ghostbusters. But instead of interviewing one and ending up with a story about a ghost, I'm actually here to talk about the ghost."

"Right, Phantom. Our not-so-secret weapon. Egon's upstairs."

Cynthia nodded and began to walk toward the stairs, then stopped suddenly. Janine chuckled.

"There aren't going to be any explosions this time. Just go ahead up."

"Just making sure."

Cynthia found Egon on the third floor, fiddling with a small device. She cleared her throat to make her presence known. Egon looked up.

"Oh, apologies. Are you the reporter from the Post?"

"Yes. In fact, I've driven down his road before. Cynthia Crawford, former UBN News reporter. I did the Slimer story all those years ago."

"I thought you looked familiar," said Egon, snapping his fingers, "Now your message said you wished to talk about our new recruit."

"That's right."

They adjourned to the rec room to conduct the interview.

"So, for starters, who is he? What's his story? He's a ghost, right? Like Slimer?"

"His name is Danny Phantom, and, yes, he is a ghost, and a very unique one at that. He is NOT the soul of a deceased person, or a naturally-born ectoplasmic entity. He is, or _was_, a familiar, an ectoplasmic spin-off created by a human with high emotion and psychokinetic charge, in this case created in a laboratory accident. He is based, physically and for the most part mentally, on a boy named Daniel Fenton, son of renowned paranormal scientists and ghost hunters Jack and Maddie Fenton. It was actually due to the nature of his parent's work that young Daniel kept his friend a secret from his parents, letting the familiar who was dubbed Danny Phantom hide in his own body. Daniel and Danny became a team, brothers in arms, and protected their town of Amity Park from many a manner of malevolent spirit, even though many of the town saw Phantom as a menace due to skewed viewpoints of the battles, as well as a few frame-ups."

"I see. Now, why is Phantom here?"

"Well, it goes back to when I said he _was_ a familiar. You see, Jack Fenton was murdered by a malevolent ghost named Plasmius, who was a sort of archenemy for human and familiar. Danny Phantom fought Plasmius, understandably livid. He considered Daniel's family to be his own, you see. In the fight, Danny was scarred and Maddie was thrust into a coma from which she is still recovering. Meanwhile, Daniel was shocked at the recent events, and the sheer ferocity that his familiar had displayed in fighting Plasmius. Finally, unable to take the emotional scarring from it all, exacerbated by the stress of finding his mutilated father's body, his mind snapped. He had simply been pushed too far, too fast. With a final word for his ectoplasmic brother to live on and live happily, Daniel Fenton took his own life, releasing Danny Phantom from the ties that bound them."

"Oh my…"

"Danny still mourns for both his host/brother and the father of the family. But, Plasmius had framed him for the murder, and he couldn't stay. With Daniel's parting words in his ears, he ran, eventually finding his way to New York City, where the Ghostbusters found him. Upon realizing that he was benevolent and in deep emotional pain, we decided to take him in and give him a home and purpose. The rest is history."

"Now, from the eyewitness accounts, particularly the battle in Times Square a few days ago, he appears to be a very powerful spirit. Can you elaborate on his abilities?"

"Well, his standard abilities would be flight, intangibility, and invisibility. He can also project beams of ectoplasm-based energy, which he can control the size and power of. Similarly with his energy shields. The ability with the most potential for sheer versatility, however, would have to be his cryokinetic abilities, or ghostly ice. He can project beams of energy that flash-freeze the target, as well as create ice of any shape and size out of little more than the water molecules in the air and his own power. I gather that the nature of his creation is what accounts for his vast power. You will forgive me if I do not go into any details."

"Wow. That's amazing. One more question. Can we get a better look at him?"

"You can try, but he's horrendously camera shy."

A noise came from the kitchen, and Egon smiled.

"I guess the team is back from the job."

"How can you tell?"

"Some people are caffeine addicts and drink a lot of coffee. Danny is similar, only with hot chocolate. And since his body is naturally cold, due to his ice powers, he can literally have it any time of the year. He's probably fetching some right now."

"A ghost drinks hot chocolate?"

"Slimer, as you may remember, eats anything he can get his hands on, as long as it isn't nailed down, on fire, or broccoli. It's not a stretch."

Cynthia crept over to the door to the kitchen, slipping out her cell phone, preparing it to take a quick picture. Taking a deep breath, she swept open the door…

To an empty kitchen.

Cynthia stared at the room before looking back at a chuckling Egon.

"A bit elusive, isn't he?"

"Old habits die hard. He wasn't exactly too popular in his hometown, remember?"

"How did he even make the cocoa that fast?"

"Probably used a variant of his energy beams to heat the water. Very quick, very efficient."

Meanwhile, on the roof, Danny saw the Box Ghost looking out over the city. Sliding beside the other ghost and taking a sip from his mug, he spoke.

"The reporter's downstairs."

"Article should be out in a day or two."

"Yep. If _she_ sees this article, she'll come find me. How's the Ghost Zone angle?"

"I've set up lines of inquiry," replied Boxy, "Vince and his boys are spread throughout the Zone, and they've even dragged Walker in on the grounds that she's wanted for questioning in the human world. Vince says that Walker was surprisingly easy to sucker. Bottom line, if she comes up for air, we'll find her."

"Good. I've got a decent life now. It's time she gets one too…"

Danny sipped his cocoa, thinking. Suddenly, he spoke again.

"You know, I still say that Vince is a dead ringer for-"

"Honestly, he might actually BE him. But I don't think I'll ever get the guts to ask…"

**oOo**

Danny loved flying. It was his favorite power, and New York City was an impressive place to go flying in. He wondered off hand if this is what it was like for Superman or Batman through Metropolis or Gotham.

Suddenly, his ghost sense went off. Reaching out, he sensed exactly where the ghost was. Picking up on the location, he flew forward, finding the building and preparing to jump in.

Suddenly, a familiar stream of energy shot out the front door.

"I've been flying longer than I thought. They're already on it."

Turning invisible so he could sneak up on the ghost, he carefully entered the lobby of the building, but his assurance turned to shock and confusion.

Egon was 'busting alongside three other men, all around his age. One was a redhead with a babyish face, despite being middle-aged. One was an African American man with a trim mustache. The third was a smooth-looking brown-haired man who gave off an aura of confidence.

Danny recognized them from the pictures at the firehouse. He watched, transfixed, as they fought the ghost, moving and blasting in harmony, as if they had been doing it for years.

In fact, they had, as Danny knew. For these other men were Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, and Peter Venkman. They, along with Egon, where the Original Ghostbusters.

As he watched, he recalled that Egon had said he was picking up some friends. He must have packed some gear, just in case. Danny smirked. Egon could be a sly dog when he wanted to be.

Finally, the ghost was trapped within an old, box-style trap.

"That felt great," said Winston, "Getting back together was a good idea. I wonder how come it took so long to get resettled back in New York."

"Wasn't that long to me," said Ray, "It's like my Aunt Lois says: Time flies like an arrow."

"Yeah?" asked Peter, "Well fruit flies like a banana."

Danny fell out of the air, he was laughing so hard.

The four whipped around, Ray, Peter, and Winston looking confused at the appearing form of a white-haired teen laughing his butt off.

"Spengs, are you seeing the weird kid in the trench coat, or have I finally cracked?" asked Peter.

"If you are, then so am I, and I _know_ I'm not crazy," replied Winston.

Egon chuckled lightly.

"Gentlemen, this ball of giggling is Danny Phantom."

**oOo**

"Half-ghost?" asked Winston, shocked.

"This is amazing," said Ray, shifting to scientist mode, "A genetic miracle. The possibilities for ectoplasmic research are ENDLESS."

"I'm still stuck on the fact that you didn't tell us earlier," grumbled Peter.

Egon and Danny calmly sipped their mugs, one coffee, one cocoa. Slimer mimicked them, albeit guzzling his milk.

"I spent over three years keeping this a secret," replied Danny, having returned to human form upon returning to the firehouse, "You think I'm just going to type it in an e-mail, just like that?"

"The scientific possibilities are endless, but so are the possibilities the knowledge could be misused," added Egon, "Einstein knows what some government organizations, such as the Guys in White, would do with that kind of information. To say nothing of unscrupulous scientists and the like. The knowledge was simply too dangerous to be given in any form other than person."

"Did you spray the room for bugs?" asked Peter sarcastically.

"Twice," Danny deadpanned, "With ectoplasm."

Peter grunted and Winston pushed his shoulder.

"Come on, Peter. You really can't argue with their logic. I met a pair of agents from the Guys in White shortly after the big breakup. They tried to hire me, but I refused. They didn't have much in the way of morals."

"I've dealt with the Guys in White before," said Danny, "There are a few agents that have some redeeming qualities, but a lot of them would stop at NOTHING to get at a ghost, even putting innocent citizens at risk. They don't think much of scruples. Can you 'lots and lots of painful tests'?"

"Despicable," said Ray, "A scientist without morals is just a bad scientist."

Ray, Egon, and Peter shuddered slightly. There was nothing worse to call a scientist than a bad scientist.

Later, Peter pulled Danny aside.

"I need the opinion of a fresh set of eyes. What have Egon and Janine been up to?"

Danny raised his eyebrow for a moment before understanding.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I've see something, and yeah, I think they might be trying. I've seen them leave to have dinner together, but they don't talk about it. But in all honestly, I think they're both adults capable of figuring it out."

Peter rolled his eyes. Danny clearly hadn't seen just how blindingly obvious Janine could make it, but not have Egon give any visible reaction.

"However, speaking of Janine, she and I have a plan going on. You know Kylie and Eduardo?"

"They admit it yet?"

"Oh, you noticed?"

"Over Thanksgiving. So that's a no?"

"I think they aren't willing to admit it," replied Danny.

Peter slapped his forehead.

"Oh, not again."

"Well, Janine and I have been playing it subtle, trying to get them to admit it to themselves, then each other. You want in? We could always use another pair of hands."

Peter tapped his chin in mock thought, but Danny already knew what the answer would be.

"Done."

Walking away from Peter, Danny ran smack into Ray, who had a giddy smile on his face.

"Why do I get the feeling you don't have Egon's restraint?" mumbled Danny.

Before Ray could answer, Danny had already kicked on his invisibility. Ray swiveled his head to and fro, but couldn't make out where Danny went. He heard a chuckling behind him, and turned to see Winston.

"Leave the kid alone, Ray. Egon's already given him a spin on the 'turn your head and cough' circuit, and I don't think he's in the mood for another round."

Ray slumped and walked off. Danny turned visible beside Winston.

"Thanks."

"No problem. He gets like that again, let me know. Ray sometimes needs to be reminded of tact."

As Winston walked off, Danny smiled.

"I think I'll like these guys."

* * *

><p><em>Some of you may recognize Cynthia from the Real Ghostbusters episode 'Citizen Ghost' (the events of which I have referred to several times in the chapter)<em>

_And thus, the Originals are back in the fold. I really didn't feel the need to introduce these characters much, because if I'm being honest, _we all know these guys. _These are THE Ghostbusters, for pity's sake! Do I even HAVE to introduce them?_


	25. Cryonic

_GOD! This chapter did NOT want to be written!_

* * *

><p><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 25  
><span>Cryonic<span>

"_**A hero has the power to move the world. A true hero has the power to destroy the world but chooses not to despite what the world thinks of them."**_

_**-Joseph Patrick Lyons**_

**oOo**

The ghost screamed as he was sucked into the trap.

"And there goes another one," said Winston.

"One, two, in it goes," agreed Garrett.

"You know, between you, Winston, and Kylie, I'm not sure I really needed to be here," said Danny.

"Don't sell yourself short, Danny," replied Kylie, "Without your shields, things would have been much harder."

"Sure, whatever."

"Okay, now I know something's bugging you."

"It's nothing, just a lack of challenge," replied Danny wistfully, "I haven't had a decent fight since the Doom thing a week ago."

"Looked pretty one-sided from where I stood," interjected Garrett.

Before Danny could retort, the blue smoke of his ghost sense escaped his lips, accompanied by the beeping of Kylie's PKE Meter. She whipped it out and consulted it.

"I'm getting a reading. A powerful one."

"Nocturne powerful," supplied Danny, "And it's close. REAL close."

Suddenly, in a flash of blue, it appeared. Dressed in a blue Japanese kimono and a strange black hat, he bowed deeply to Danny.

"Honorable Phantom. You have been challenged to a duel by the Master of Ice. Should you win, you shall be granted the honor and the title."

"Huh, kind of like a boxing match," supplied Winston, "Title of Heavyweight World Champion goes to the winner."

"The Honorable Ghostbuster is correct. Honorable Phantom, do you accept the challenge?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm lost," replied Danny.

"I shall explain," replied the ghost, "Master of Ice is a honorable title among ghosts, passed on via duels that utilize the combatants' skill in cryokinesis, in some cases to the death. At least, to whatever death there shall be for ghosts. Worry not, for the current champion does not believe in such duels, and the duels are conducted until one combatant surrenders or is unable to battle."

Danny thought long and hard.

"Well…if it's not to the death or anything, I suppose I accept."

"Excellent. Be at the place called Battery Park tomorrow at high noon. The Master of Ice will be there."

And with that, the ghost vanished.

**oOo**

"Fascinating," Egon said as they waited in Battery Park.

"First time I've heard of this," replied Danny, "I thought the people of the Far Frozen were the only ghosts who used ice. Guess the Ghost Zone is bigger than I thought."

"So, where is this Ice Master?" asked Peter, "We can't give the moral support without the fight."

"It's Master of Ice. The Japanese ghost was very specific," replied Winston.

"Gyoji," said Roland, "From the description, it sounded like a gyoji. They're pretty much referees."

Everyone looked at him oddly.

"My brother was watching a Ninja Turtle cartoon the other day. It had one in it."

Danny's ghost sense went off at the same time the PKE Meters did. The gyoji appeared again, and this time, he wasn't alone.

"May I present, the honorable Master of Ice: Cryonic!"

Cryonic was a lizard-like ghost, a contrast to his cryokinetic powers. He had a long, slender body, two pairs of arms, and a wide head with a fang-filled grin, bulging eyes, and a small, frill-like crest. He was a pure white, with mottled light blue along his back. The final two feet of his tail was also light blue.

Despite his frightening smile, Danny saw a lightness in his eyes. Cryonic stepped forward and extended one hand to Danny.

"I am told you are quite powerful," said Cryonic in a refined voice, "I shall enjoy this battle."

"He sounds like Jeremy Irons," Kylie mumbled, and Garrett snickered.

Danny took the hand and shook it.

"Then may the best man win."

The gyoji erected a massive energy shield over their portion of Battery Park, which was thankfully empty. A second shield kept the gyoji and the Ghostbusters safe for the clash.

"The rules are as follows: you will fight using your mastery of cryokinesis. No other ghost powers are to be used exclusively, but flight will be allowed. Any disputes over a select maneuver will be decided at is happens. Anything else goes. The battle will continue until one duelist is unable to battle, or surrenders. Do you understand the terms?"

Danny and Cryonic nodded.

"Then BEGIN!"

Cryonic made the first move, firing icicles from each of his four hands. Danny flew up to dodge, then sent a massive snowball down towards the lizard ghost. Cryonic merely raised his hand, and the snowball shattered before hitting him.

"While remote control of ice and snow is not possible while another cryokinetic ghost is holding the weapon, it is still possible otherwise," Cryonic explained.

"Good to know," replied Danny, forming a sword in each hand.

"Swords. Quaint, but useful," Cryonic chuckled, creating FOUR swords.

The two ghosts clashed, Danny hard-pressed to block all four blades. This continued for some time before Danny got behind Cryonic and threw one sword, knocking his opponent's blades out of his left hands. Cryonic merely transferred one sword to his upper left hand and renewed his attack, with Danny forming a new sword as soon as he could.

"Your skill with a sword is interesting, but woefully rough and inexperienced," said Cryonic, twisting one blade to disarm Danny of one sword.

Jumping back, Danny used his ice powers to create a wall. Cryonic easily shattered it, but Danny was gone.

A yell from above caused Cryonic to raise his blades just in time, but the resulting clash shattered all three swords.

"Very clever, Phantom," replied Cryonic.

"Thank you."

Cryonic threw a punch, which Danny dodged. But the thing about a four-armed opponent was that one wasn't sure where the next punch was going to come from.

Danny was hit thrice before he managed to get away. Charging blue energy into his hands, he let fly several icy shuriken, ninja throwing stars. As expected, Cryonic shattered a bunch of them in mid-air, but he couldn't get them all.

Danny smiled. As expected. As Danny released another volley, Cryonic formed a shield on one arm to properly block. As the volley stopped, Cryonic lowered the shield, only to get a face full of ice gauntlet.

Cryonic fumbled back, but recovered in time to block another blow with the shield. Using it as leverage, he pushed Danny off before throwing the shield. Danny used his gauntlet to block, causing both to break beyond use.

"You are definitely skilled, Phantom," Cryonic said, "But I doubt it will be enough to beat me."

"We'll see," Danny replied.

Cryonic formed gauntlets on his own hands and charged forward. Danny saw this coming and flew up. He shot down a rain of ice beams, but Cryonic was an agile opponent, slithering around the attacks. Danny came down on the ground hard, creating an icy shockwave, but Cryonic managed to leap right over it and form a ring of ice crystals around himself that rapidly hit Danny. As a finisher, Cryonic concentrated energy and formed what could only be described as a glacier below and around him, knocking Danny several feet away.

Danny recovered and whirled around sending a wave of blue energy charging toward Cryonic. To his shock, Cryonic actually dodged the wave and smirked.

"Let me show you how it's done."

Cryonic began to spin, blue energy surging around him. Before long, an icy tornado was roaring towards Danny. Thinking quickly, he set multiple beams of ice at the side of the blizzard/twister, working against the flow of the wind and lessening the power of the overall attack.

However, that didn't stop the attack completely, and Danny was still hit with an impressive amount of damage.

As Danny struggled to stand and shake the snow off him, a foot stepped into his vision.

"Had enough, Phantom?"

Danny allowed himself a grin.

"You kidding? I'm just getting warmed up!"

**oOo**

"How long have they been going at it?" asked Eduardo.

"About an hour now," answered Peter, peering at his watch.

"You have to admire their resiliency," said Egon.

"Yeah, but Danny doesn't seem to be causing as much damage," Kylie argued, "And I don't think he'll outlast Cryonic. The guy's a professional."

"He'll do it," said Garrett, "Danny's not about to give up."

"Maybe not," replied Winston, "But unless he finds a loophole or something to exploit, he's going to lose."

Meanwhile, Danny was still battling Cryonic. After barely dodging an ice-cloaked rushing attack, Danny countered with another storm of shuriken.

'Much as I hate to admit it, this guy could beat me,' Danny mused, 'I'm powerful with ice, but he's got a lot more skill and experience with it. I've been making up a lot of this as I go along.'

Danny's musing paused to dodge another attack from Cryonic, this one a somersault attack with a pair of ice blades.

'I need to turn this around somehow. As long as we're limited to just ice, he has the upper hand. Why, if I could use some of my other powers, he wouldn't…'

Inspiration struck.

'He wouldn't have a prayer. THAT'S IT!'

Danny leapt back from another sword strike and formed a snowball in one hand. Then, he discreetly charged it with ecto-energy and threw it. As expected, Cryonic reached out with his powers to shatter it, confident in his ability to ward of the seemingly weak attack.

He didn't expect the explosion of ice and ecto-energy that resulted from this.

"What in-"

"Surprise, lizard boy!" shouted Danny, "The ref said we couldn't use other ghost powers exclusively aside from flight. He didn't say ANYTHING about mixing ecto-energy with the ice!"

Cryonic looked over at the gyoji, who looked thoughtful. Finally…

"I will allow it."

Danny gave a feral grin.

"Now it's a PARTY!"

Within seconds, he had formed new ice swords, these tinged with a green glow. Charging forward, he struck out. Cryonic tried to block the blades with his own, only to have the swords cut right through his ice. Cryonic jumped back to dodge another blow and formed a shield, only for the same thing to happen again.

Channeling power through the blades, Danny sent two waves of blue and green energy zooming toward Cryonic, who flew up to dodge.

Danny threw one sword at Cryonic, who dodged, but this let Danny have one hand free to create a nice minefield. Danny then flew up to engage Cryonic, who flew higher. But Danny was the faster flier of the two, and easily caught up with Cryonic, turning his sword into a club and knocking the other ghost back down and right into the minefield.

Cryonic had had enough, and unleashed a larger blizzard than his first. But Danny charged more energy into his club and threw the weapon right into the heart of the storm. The attack flew true, and the resulting explosion devastated the storm and knocked Cryonic back down to the ground.

"Well, my pride is officially wounded," Cryonic mumbled as he rose.

Danny floated back down to the ground, and the two stared each other down.

"Had enough, Cryonic?" Danny mockingly asked.

"Not quite yet," replied Cryonic forming a snowball in each hand. The snow took on a strange glow, and Cryonic let the four fly…

Danny didn't even flinch from the sad attempt to copy his ecto-snow grenade.

"Was that supposed to hurt?"

Cryonic looked embarrassed, and laughter was head from the Ghostbusters.

"Sorry, Cryonic," said Danny, "You might have a lot of, pardon the pun, overall firepower when it comes to ice…but I've just got a lot of overall firepower, PERIOD."

And with that, Danny reached down and grasped the snow. During the past hour, the battlefield had accumulated a thick blanket of snow from all the ice being thrown and shattered. Danny proceeded to snap that blanket like a towel, sending Cryonic flying upward.

Danny then positioned himself firmly, charged plenty of ice and ecto-energy…and SCREAMED.

The ice-infused Ghostly Wail hit Cryonic like the worst storm out of Antarctica. He didn't stand a chance.

Cryonic plummeted to the ground and landed hard, moaning. He felt something pinch the sides of his neck, as well as poke his throat slightly. A foot braced itself on his chest. Opening his eyes, Cryonic saw Danny holding a trident-like weapon at him, pinning his neck.

Danny was panting from the attack he had made, but he took a deep breath and calmly said, "Yield."

"Why not just end it? All you would have to do is lengthen the middle prong."

"No. I will not. I refuse to."

Cryonic chuckled.

"Yes, my predecessor did the same to his opponents. It is out of respect for him that I do the same. And now you. Life is truly circular that way."

"Out of curiosity, who was your predecessor?"

"A ghost named Frostbite."

Danny's jaw dropped, but to his credit, his grip on the trident didn't waver.

"I…I was trained in ice by Frostbite…"

"Then it appears we have a friend in common. Regardless, I yield. You have won…"

Danny released his hold and helped Cryonic to stand.

"Winner!" declared the gyoji, "and the new Master of Ice: DANNY PHANTOM!"

As the Ghostbusters gathered around to congratulate Danny, Cryonic smiled.

'This young man will go places,' he mused.

**oOo**

"If this proves anything, it's just how versatile Danny's cryokinesis is," Egon commented.

Ray looked up from the notes he was reading. Both scientists had gone to the lab upon returning home, and Egon was writing an update to Danny's file.

"I'll say. Speaking of which, you've known and probably studied him longer. Just how powerful IS Danny?"

Egon stopped writing and sat back with a sigh.

"We don't know. Not exactly."

"Then give an estimate."

"Tremendous. That's the only estimate I feel comfortable giving," replied Egon, "We could never get a proper fix on it, but Kylie's early assumption was correct. He could take Samhain on Halloween night. Easily."

Ray whistled.

"That much power? It doesn't seem like it."

"I think there's some mental blocks in place to keep him from using too much at once. This ends up translating to more endurance than raw power, but that's just a side effect. The source of these mental blocks is most likely experience, but there could be other factors…"

"Egon, if Danny's as powerful as you say, do you think he might be consciously holding back because of _us_? That he doesn't want to be so good that it drives the rest of us out of the picture?"

"That could be one reason. But here's another, one that I find all the more likely. Sometime in his past, he came face to face with something that truly scared him to his core. And it still gnaws at his soul. Whatever it was, it made him question just how powerful he was or could become. And it also made him afraid of the temptation to misuse it. He stated that he held the keys to a disaster of biblical proportions, and that if he fell too far, everything would burn. And he's absolutely terrified of that. That alone could be the source of the biggest block of all."

The two scientists were silent for some time. Finally, Ray spoke.

"You have to wonder…what could scare Danny Phantom?"

* * *

><p><em>You know, I originally intended the fight between Danny and Cryonic to be longer, but, well, the best laid plans of mice and men…<em>

_To give you a stronger image, Cryonic looks like a white and light blue version of Randall Boggs from the Disney/Pixar movie 'Monsters Inc'. Only Cryonic's a lot nicer._


	26. Shadow World Part 1

_I don't own Danny Phantom. Butch Hartman does. If I DID own Danny Phantom, the third season wouldn't have been as rushed, we'd have seen more of Danielle, and the series finale would have involved Dark Phantom._

_I also don't own the Ghostbusters in ANY variation. Although the movie is one of my favorites…_

_I am REALLY sorry about the long wait. I have no excuse but this: COLLEGE-LEVEL SPANISH IS **EVIL!**_

_Now, that aside, you all have probably waited long enough. So let's not wait anymore! Allons-y!_

* * *

><p><span><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 26

Shadow World

Part 1

"_**Trapped in your world, where you're burning in my eyes,  
><strong>__**You're like a shadow that never hides…"**_

_**- **_**"Parallel Worlds", **_**Elliot Minor**_

**oOo**

"So, by this point, the customer has had enough," Peter said, "And he says what has to be one of the funniest rants I've ever heard: 'It's not pining, it's passed on. This parrot is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late parrot! It's a stiff! Bereft of life! It rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up daisies! It's run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! THIS is an EX-PARROT!'"

There was laughter from those assembled, Danny lifting his glasses to flick away some tears of mirth.

"Monty Python's great. Hope we don't end up having to bust that bird!"

What would have been a few more appreciative chuckles was interrupted by the alarm.

"We've got a hot one!" shouted Kylie, running into the room, "Some kind of freak twister in Central Park."

Peter stiffened.

"Did you say twister?"

**oOo**

"I really hoped I was wrong," Peter mumbled as the Ecto-1 pulled up. Danny, Eduardo, Kylie, Peter, and Ray hustled out and tried not to get too close to the bizarre tornado that stood in the park, unmoving but still whirling.

"You recognize this?" asked Eduardo.

"Unfortunately," replied Ray, "It's eerily similar to a manifestation we encountered in the old days, and what it lead to was anything but good. The twister turned out to be some sort of portal to a ghostly dimension we dubbed The Flip-Side."

"The Flip Side? I remember reading about that in the files!" said Kylie, "It was some sort of bizarre backward version of New York, and it even had versions of Ghostbusters that hunted organic life!"

"I think this IS the same thing," said Danny, "I'm sensing energy fluctuations I only get when near an active ghost portal. But I've never seen a portal like this before!"

"I'm getting a closer reading!"

"Careful! This wind is picking up, and I don't think I'll be able to fly in this!"

Kylie carefully edged closer in order to get some better readings, but slipped when the wind knocked several newspapers into her. As the winds from the twister tugged her up, Danny and Eduardo, the closest to her, reacted, grabbing on.

"Now I know how Dorothy felt!" Eduardo yelled over the wind.

"Just hang on! I don't feel like going to Oz!" Kylie shouted back.

"Too late!" Danny yelled as the wind picked up speed.

They barely heard the calls of Peter and Ray over the roar of the wind as the three were carried up and away.

**oOo**

It felt like being in an out of control tilt-o-whirl. Up was down, down was up, and left and right where having a drunken fling together. Gravity had taken one look and decided not to bother. The only things Kylie knew for sure were the iron grip Danny kept on her wrist, and Eduardo's continuing stream of Spanish, of which she knew enough to know that he was cursing a blue streak.

After what felt like forever, the wind died down, and the three were left several hundred feet in the air. Thankfully, one of their number could fly, and he guided them in for a safe landing.

Then Kylie's PKE Meter started sparking. She quickly threw it away and it promptly exploded.

"That was random," said Eduardo.

"I don't think so," Danny argued, "I think it overloaded. My senses are going nuts. Where are we, anyway?"

The city around them looked like New York, but it was as if a filter had been placed over the scenery. Everything was darker and grittier. Stone crumbled, slime oozed from out of cracks, and the smell of decay hung heavily in the air. The skies were clear, but oppressive, and there was no sign of the tornado that had brought them there.

"Guys, remember what Ray said? About how the old team ran into a twister that was a portal to the Flip Side?" asked Kylie.

Eduardo swore.

"Let's just get to a safer place," said Danny, readjusting his glasses, "We'll find a way back home later, but we're too exposed out here."

"Exactly. We don't want to run into the Peoplebusters," replied Kylie.

"The who?"

"Eduardo, do you EVER read the files? The Peoplebusters were ghostly versions of the Ghostbusters, and real pieces of work. They hunted any organic life that found its way here, and at the moment, that includes us. The old team couldn't do a thing to them, because their proton packs wouldn't work here. Some kind of reversal in proton energy, it was kind of complicated. Point is, if we run into them, we're sitting ducks."

"I REALLY hope we don't see a Flip Side version of me," Danny commented, "I've been down that road, and it wasn't pretty…I don't want to have to go through it again…"

**oOo**

They found shelter in an alleyway, quickly finding that Kylie and Eduardo could phase through solid objects. Once they felt safe, they began to brainstorm.

"So how did the old guys escape?" asked Eduardo.

"According to the files, they ended up getting caught by the Peoplebusters and thrown into some sort of containment unit, one that functioned like our own. They took advantage of the similar nature that unit had with the real world to blast a way back home."

"That might not work again," said Danny, "The Peoplebusters are supposed to be mirror versions of the Ghostbusters, right? That means they have their own Egon, and if that's the case, then they'll probably have locked down that little exit."

"You got a better idea?" asked Eduardo.

"Not really. Way I figure it, this might be part of the Ghost Zone, maybe an off-shoot. We might find a natural portal back to Earth, but we'd have no way of knowing where one will open, or where it would open to. Or even WHEN it would open to. I hate to say it, but I think our best option is to wait things out. Hopefully, we'll find a way back, or maybe the Box Ghost can track us down and help us back."

"So, how long do you think that'll take?" asked Kylie.

"Could be minutes, could be days."

"Don't think we have days," said Eduardo, as a ghastly moan pierced the air like a siren, getting closer within seconds.

Peeking out into the main street, and they gazed upon a terrifying sight.

Piling out of a twisted version of the Ecto-1 were equally twisted versions of the Ghostbusters: a lanky, zombie-like version of Peter, a skeletal double of Egon, a fat and apelike doppelganger of Ray, a hirsute, wolf-like ghost that resembled Eduardo, and a blond lookalike of Kylie with long fangs jutting from her mouth.

The Peoplebusters.

"_Mierda,_" Eduardo hissed.

"You said it," Kylie whispered back.

"What a drag," Flip-Eduardo growled, "I SO didn't want to do this today."

"Come on, baby! A little action, a little smacking of some meatbags! It'll be fun!" piped up Flip-Kylie, a peppy grin on her face.

"Too bad Winston, Garrett, and Roland are missing this," chuckled Flip-Ray.

"Quiet," barked Flip-Egon, consulting a rusty gadget, "The organics are near."

"Then why are we wasting time?" asked Flip-Peter, picking a maggot out of his teeth, "Let's find 'em, tag 'em, and bag 'em. I'm feeling hungry…"

Kylie shuddered, and Eduardo laid a steadying hand on her shoulder. Danny motioned for them to sneak away, but Murphy's Law had other ideas. A stray can clinked against Eduardo's foot, and the five vile ghosts whirled toward the noise.

"BINGO!" shouted Flip-Ray, and the five activated their own weapons, slime sprayers, before charging into the alley.

"We're dead," Eduardo squeaked.

Danny reacted fast, letting off several ecto-blasts with stunning accuracy and pushing the Peoplebusters back into the street.

"Another ghost?" asked Flip-Kylie.

"Probably one of those meat-loving rebels," Flip-Eduardo snarled.

"Well, he can't beat us all," Flip-Peter replied, "Drench 'em!"

The five let loose streams of slime. Danny erected a shield to block the goo, but the constant barrage started to wear it down.

Suddenly, the shadows around them sprang to life and swatted aside Flip-Kylie, Flip-Eduardo, and Flip-Ray. A dark figure appeared from gloom.

"It's the Wraith!" shouted Flip-Egon.

Danny took a look at the newcomer, about to thank him. Then his blood ran cold.

Garbed in a pure black body-suit was young-looking ghost, with pale green skin, fangs, and dark red eyes. White flames composed his hair. To Kylie and Eduardo, it looked like a demonic version of Danny Phantom.

To Danny, it looked like a shade from his nightmares.

"No, NO!" he shouted, his mind running a hundred miles an hour with grim thoughts, "Stay back!"

Danny's freak-out caused him to drop the shield, allowing Flip-Peter to shoot right at Kylie. The blobs of slime impacted her small form, coating her body in muck.

"KYLIE!" Eduardo cried out, attempting to dislodge his teammate, but his attempts only served to glue his hands to her slimy cocoon, leaving him wide open to an assault by his own doppelganger, along with Flip-Kylie.

The Flip-Side Danny reacted, throwing out several blade-like bursts of darkness, forcing the Peoplebusters to retaliate with slime. Danny attempted to get to Kylie and Eduardo, but a blast of slime from Flip-Kylie knocked him back.

"Sorry, hun! Nothing personal!" the fanged ghost giggled.

As Danny tapped into his ice powers to freeze the goo off him, Flip-Eduardo and Flip-Ray were already grabbing Kylie and Eduardo and were starting to load them into their vehicle.

"NO!" Danny shouted, about to leap after them, but a cold grip yanked him back. It was his double, using a shadowy lariat while a black shield blocked incoming fire.

"You can't help them now! We need to regroup back at the base!"

Before Danny could protest or spit in the face of the one who looked so much like The Darkness, he was literally pulled into the shadows. The next thing he knew, he was someplace else.

Danny roughly threw his double off.

"Get away! I have to save them!"

"They're already on their way to the Peoplebusters' base!" Flip-Danny argued, "You can't save them alone! They're too powerful and too well organized. They have this entire city in a death grip!"

"You have a better idea?"

"Not him," came a voice, "But perhaps I do."

Out of the shadows came a large figure, a bizarre cross between man and bat. But the most shocking thing to Danny was the new ghost's features, startlingly similar to one of his greatest enemies.

"They call me Plasma," said the doppelganger of Vlad Plasmius, "I don't know why you look like my adopted son, but that doesn't matter. Welcome to the resistance."

**oOo**

Meanwhile the Peoplebusters' base, the gummed together forms of Eduardo and Kylie were being hauled toward machine that looked like a demonic head.

"Too bad we have to throw them in," quipped Flip-Kylie, "The male looks good enough to eat!"

"Careful," the Flip-Eduardo growled, "I might get jealous."

Flip-Kylie giggled girlishly, and the two humans were struck by how surreal that was.

The twisted machine opened its mouth wide, and with a heave, the two Ghostbusters were tossed directly into it. They fell for the second time that day, this time hitting the ground in a grassy field with an overcast sky. The goo began to dissolve, obviously not suited to the new environment, and Kylie and Eduardo finally extricated themselves from each other with great awkwardness.

"Why did you even do that?" Kylie asked, wiping slime off her face with a grimace, "You got caught too."

Eduardo froze for a moment before speaking.

"Umm, well you would have done the same for me."

'Stupid!' he swore mentally, 'You stared down a creep-show version of YOURSELF, but you chicken out of a PERFECT chance to tell her how you feel? STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!'

Kylie must have noticed his sudden silence, for she asked what was wrong.

"Nothing," he replied quickly, "Just didn't think my evil twin would be a werewolf, or yours would be so…sunny."

Sensing the awkward tone in the air, Kylie easy jumped in the change of subject and replied, "Yeah, she kind of reminds me of Death from Neil Gaiman's _The Sandman_. Only blond."

"I heard about that series. Tried to read it once, but couldn't wrap my mind around it. Stopped after the first issue."

"Too bad. Death's a scream."

"Comedian?"

"No, just a pleasant and perky Goth. A paradox, I know, but on her it works. On her first appearance, she talked about Mary Poppins. Said it was a cute movie."

"NO WAY! _DEATH? Mary Poppins?_"

"Yeah. Even impersonated Dick Van Dyke's faux-British accent."

"You're pulling my leg!"

"Nope. Then four pages later, she yells at her brother, Dream, and throws a loaf of bread at him."

"THAT I'll believe."

"It's a good series. You should give it another shot."

"If we get out of this, I just might. Any idea what we do now?"

Kylie sat in the grass and drew her knees to her chest.

"Wait, I guess. Danny will think of something."

"I guess," Eduardo replied, sitting beside her, "What was with those Peoplebusters, anyway?"

"You really want to know?" came a voice, and the two spun around to see an old man had snuck up on them. Confused, the two nodded, and the old man sat before them.

"Name's Carl," he began, "I entered this ghostly realm many years ago. I had hidden at first, watching. Years ago, a group of three humans entered this city, humans with strange suits and carrying stranger equipment on their backs. I later learned from a newcomer that they had been the Ghostbusters, but what I knew at the time was that they did something to the Peoplebusters, something that deeply wounded their pride and their reputation."

"They escaped," Kylie interjected, and Carl nodded.

"I figured as much. Well, I remember seeing a massive column of light erupting from the Peoplebusters' old base. It soon became known that it was a jailbreak of organic life. That did NOT go over well with the city. The Peoplebusters retired in shame. However, a few years ago, they returned, with new recruits, new resources, and a new drive. In a matter of months, they had taken over the city, ruling it with an iron fist. They began aggressively hunting down any hidden organic life, and levying heavy punishments on any ghost they felt stood against them and their regime. In little time, they had become bigger monsters than the ghostly citizens had considered people once upon a time. I helped found a resistance movement to combat them, but I was recently captured. I can only pray my partners have keep our people safe…

"But, that is my story," Carl concluded, "What is yours?"

**oOo**

"Fascinating," said Plasma, pondering the story he had just heard from Danny, "Heroes from the world of the living."

"And we just wanted to get home," said Danny, "But now, if there's a way to help stop the Peoplebusters in the process, you can count me in…"

* * *

><p><em>Now, that song quote at the beginning? Here's the Youtube link, in case you're interested. Delete the spaces:<em>

watch?v =s3_ZR eEaKbo


	27. Shadow World Part 2

_I don't own__…aw, screw it, you know the drill._

_God, this thing didn't want to be written…_

* * *

><p><span><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 27

Shadow World

Part 2

"Keep your arms closer," Danny instructed, "It'll improve your stance and defense."

His doppelganger complied, and the two faced off once more. Danny made the first move, charging forward and throwing a punch. Flip-Danny blocked and countered, throwing several punches in quick succession. Danny managed to block them, but tripped backward suddenly. To is surprise, there was a black tendril wrapped around is ankle.

"Gotcha," said Flip-Danny, releasing his concentration on the tentacle and allowing it to melt back into shadow.

"Good. You're learning to take everything into account, including when you are outmatched," replied Danny, getting up, "And when outmatched, cheat."

Danny had been spending the past hour giving the ghosts and humans of the resistance a crash course in his combat techniques, before taking his doppelganger aside and drilling him on a personal level. As expected, Flip-Danny was a quick study, although Danny still had to stifle the uneasiness he felt around the demonic double.

"By the way, where did those powers come from? Never seen anything like them."

Flip-Danny leaned against the wall, breathing out his nose.

"Don't know. Just appeared one day. My parents were stumped."

"Your parents?"

Here Flip-Danny paused, a twinge of pain and quiet fury crossing his face.

"They were one of the biggest voices against the Peoplebusters. And it got them killed. I vowed to end those monsters, and punish them for my parents' deaths."

The ghost suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Danny.

"Don't go there," Danny said, "Revenge is something that only hurts you in the end."

"How do you know?"

"Because my father was killed by an enemy of mine, and I wanted revenge too. It only hurt me and put my mother in a coma."

Danny pointed to his scarred eye.

"Where do you think I got this? In a way, I got off lucky. I've seen people who go too deep in revenge, and lose themselves. I know it's hard, but you have to move on. They wouldn't want you to waste any more time with those kind of thoughts."

Shadows began to swirl around Flip-Danny's hand.

"These powers showed up right before my parents were murdered. They were meant to destroy the Peoplebusters."

"Only if you let them."

"Then what would you have me do?"

Danny simply walked away, tossing his answer back as he left.

"What's right."

Danny walked down the corridors of the base, passing a few humans and ghosts. He saw them interacting, as if they were no different than a group on the street.

Danny smiled. This was a dream he often wished for. Humans and ghosts in peace, with little to no need for Danny Phantom. He often thought it a pipe dream, what with humanity's prejudice against ghosts and the malicious intent behind many of the ghosts who came to the human world.

But it was a nice thought.

Finally, he came to a large room where many humans and ghosts continued to work with each other and train. The battle would be soon, and they needed to be ready.

"So why are you helping?"

Danny turned to see the bat-like Flip-Plasmius, or Plasma as he called himself, standing there.

"Simple. Because I can. I can see the good you all want to do. I can see a dream here. And if I can help with that dream, then I have the obligation to. It's what I do."

**oOo**

"The shields are still running, Egon," said Flip-Peter, walking into the room.

"Good," replied Flip-Egon, "Those shields are the only thing keeping the rest of the Ghost Zone out. They're the only thing that can help us stop the organic incursion."

"Yes, those ghosts in the resistance may be fooled by fleshbags, but we know different, don't we?" said Flip-Ray.

"I know I wouldn't want to deal with a fleshie," said Flip-Eduardo, his arm around Flip-Kylie, "Give me a good old abnormal ghost any day."

"Speaking of the resistance, what's the word on them?" asked Flip-Kylie.

"Very little. Winston, Garrett, and Roland are still investigating, but we haven't heard back from them," Flip-Egon answered, "But I'm sure they're fine."

Suddenly, a massive booming noise rocked the room. Alarms began to sound. Flip-Egon picked up a phone.

"Janine, what's going on down there?"

Flip-Janine's answer came in a garbled scream.

"PEOPLE!"

The Peoplebusters mobilized and grabbed their gear, rushing through the hallways of their fortress.

**oOo**

Plasma peered through a pair of binoculars at the tower that served as the Peoplebusters' base. The hero from the other side had given them some great ideas, and they were being implemented beautifully. First, the power lines had been cut, forcing the fortress to run off its own generator. Second, bombs were placed at strategic points around the walls of the fortress, set to blow in sequence and get the Peoplebusters scared. While they were busy with the resistance's army and any citizens rallied by their ghosts, the two Dannys would infiltrate the fortress, crush the generator and the containment unit, and trap the Peoplebusters in between two angry forces.

He soon saw the Peoplebusters charging out of the main tower, firing wildly at the onslaught of people and ghosts. They had no idea what was about to happen.

"I love it when a plan comes together."

**oOo**

Shadows lengthened in the hallways of the fortress, and from the shadows stepped two ghosts.

"Okay, you got us in. Now I'll get us where we need to go," said Danny.

Using his own powers, he phased them down until they reached the basement. Around them were various types of machinery, but the ones they wanted were the demonic head and the tall cylinder.

Flip-Danny put down the duffel bag he was holding and took two bombs out of them. Placing them on different sides of the cylinder, he set them for five seconds, then backed away quickly into Danny's shield.

With an impressive explosion, the generator was scrap, and Danny let down his shield and turned his attention to the demonic head, the containment unit.

"You sure you can crack this open?" asked Flip-Danny.

"Sure. It's actually pretty similar to the one we have a home, the one we use to contain malevolent ghosts. And before you say anything, yes, we make sure they're malevolent before we put them away. Ours is a jail. This one is a concentration camp."

Whatever Flip-Danny was about to say was cut off by a deep growl. A large tentacled thing dropped from the ceiling and bared sharp fangs.

"I got this, you deal with the machine," said Flip-Danny, melting into the shadows at his feet.

The pool of shadow flitted across the floor until it was under the monster. Flip-Danny erupted from the pool, a shadow sword clenched in his hand as he drove into the beast's belly and sliced it open. The creature howled in pain, but remained standing, lashing out at the ghost. Flip-Danny ducked under the tentacle and took another stab at the monster, but the thing was in a berserk state now, and didn't seem affected by the blows.

As his double fought the thing, Danny twisted dials and jabbed buttons, setting the unit to overload. As the eyes of the head flashed and a siren began to blare, Danny rushed over to Flip-Danny and yanked him away from the monster.

The monster roared, not knowing what was about to come from behind it.

"Yeah, screw you too!" shouted Flip-Danny, changing his sword into a spear and laughing it at the monster. The spear pierced the thing and drove it back, right next to the containment unit.

Danny threw up another shield just as the unit exploded. The tentacled monster was caught in the blast and perished with a spine-chilling screech.

As the dust settled, a shimmering hole was left in the ground, and from the hole, a gloved hand reached out…

**oOo**

The Peoplebusters were on the ropes, being forced to use their own energy beams in conjunction with their slime cannons. Only their own twisted teamwork saved them from being defeated, but their power was waning.

Just then, a massive beam of light erupted from the tower, a sign that the containment unit has been breeched.

"No," Flip-Peter muttered.

Not even minutes later, a crowd of people came from the now unstable building. At their head were two similar-looking ghosts, one human-like, one more demonic.

"It's over," said Danny, "Your little reign of terror is done."

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" shouted Flip-Egon.

"Saved innocents from wrongful imprisonment by a group of extremists?" Flip-Danny asked sarcastically, "Yeah, that sounds about right. And you know, it felt good. This hero stuff ain't half bad."

"Glad you like it, but we're not done yet," replied Danny, hands glowing.

A Phantom and a Wraith stood together against five weakened but power-hungry ghosts. The five had led the city to ruin in their vendetta against organic life, life that could now be seen as something that could have a place in their world. The Phantom and the Wraith, both powerful ghosts, stood determined to end the tyranny and the suffering of the city.

It was a short fight.

**oOo**

"All of the Peoplebusters have been rounded up and imprisoned," Plasma was explaining, "Their base is being demolished and a coalition of human and ghost is already meeting to rebuild the city's government and infrastructure. It will be difficult, but worth it. I've been asked to join them."

"Good for you," said Eduardo, "But where does that leave us?"

"I think I have an answer to that, Eduardo. Look!" shouted Kylie, pointing up.

The gathered looked up to see the skies, now clearer and less oppressive without the Peoplebusters' shields, beginning to swirl.

"Well, that's our ride home," said Danny before turning to his double, "Remember what I said."

"I will. I'll keep the city safe and free. See you, Phantom."

"See you, kid."

Flip-Danny gave a fanged smile.

"The name is Wraith."

And with that, Danny grabbed onto his human friends and flew them upward, steering them through the portal and home.

**oOo**

The other Ghostbusters were overjoyed that their compatriots had made it back safely, and listened enthralled as the three told their story. Only Kylie and Eduardo noticed the flinch when Danny described his double.

Afterward, as Danny was making a mug of hot cocoa, Kylie and Eduardo entered the kitchen.

"So, you want to tell us what that was about?" asked Kylie.

"What?"

"Your little freak-out when your double popped up, that's what," said Eduardo, "You were more scared than a vegetarian at a meat convention."

"Now spill," Kylie finished with a glare.

Danny stood strong under her glare, but soon, he found himself wearing down.

"It's…it's about my nightmares."

Kylie's gaze softened and Eduardo twitched.

"You have to talk about them sometime," said Kylie, "Come on, you're always saying we're family. You can tell us."

Danny looked from one to the other, then averted his gaze to his mug.

"If I don't you're going to keep asking, aren't you?"

"Save us the trouble and tell us now," Eduardo answered.

Danny took a shuddering breath and a sip of his cocoa for courage.

"What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room. Not yet. I told you guys about Clockwork. I never told you how we met. He was originally supposed to kill me to prevent a dark future. One where my loved ones died in an explosion that was partially my fault, and to escape the pain, I had Vlad separate me from my ghost half, the part I blamed for what happened, for my pain. He did, but He did, but the ghost half attacked him, splitting him from his own ghost half before merging with it. The Plasmius ghost's evil overwhelmed the Phantom ghost as they became one."

Danny placed the mug on the counter as his hands started shaking.

"What was born was still me, still a Phantom. But all the pain and no way to deal with it twisted his mind until he snapped, becoming a sadistic psychopath. A monster. A DARK PHANTOM.

"I've seen him. I've seen what he did. I've seen what I could so easily become. A destroyer, without mercy or pity, gleefully blowing apart anything in his way. Old enemies, innocent people, former friends…his former human side. He's killed or mutilated anyone who's gotten in his way, and he's enjoyed every minute of it.

"And the worst part is, he's still me. Every negative emotion, every bad thought, every moment where I wanted to do something even slightly less than noble. I can still see him in my dreams, goading me, laughing at how hard I have to hold back to keep from becoming like him. I could tear his city down in hours if I ever lost control, and I would be so easy. The downward slide is so easy. One wrong step out of line, and I'm suddenly falling. And then everything burns…"

Danny was shivering, his mind filling with the images of his darker self. The fangs, the flaming hair, the soulless red eyes. Suddenly he felt arms wrapping around him.

"It won't happen. Never. We won't let it."

"You couldn't stop me, Kylie. No one could stop me if I ever became like him."

"But you won't. It won't happen. You will NEVER become anything like that."

"And we know that because we know YOU," said Eduardo, voice full of conviction, "You had the chance to go dark after your dad died, but you didn't. You kept fighting against it, and you'll keep doing that."

"It's over between the two of you. He can't touch you. We won't let you be afraid of him any more."

As Kylie muttered calming words into his ear, Danny felt the chill slip away.

They were right. There _was_ no chance of it happening. Not so long as he was with family.

Not so long as he was a Ghostbuster.

* * *

><p><em>So again, I'm sorry it took so long to get these out there. Between college, work, writer's block, and a few other ideas that were bouncing around and fighting for dominance, it was hard to get it all together.<em>

_I don't know when I'll have to next chapter out, so we're all just going to have to be patient._


	28. Women are from Venus

_FINALLY got this written. Curse you writer's block combined with a job in retail!_

* * *

><p><span><strong>I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts<strong>

Chapter 28

Women are from Venus…

"That guy was REALLY annoying," said Winston as he drove up to the firehouse, "I mean, he would NOT sit still!"

"Why do you think I used ice beams more than ecto-blasts?" asked Danny, alighting beside the Ecto-1, "I was trying to slow his movements."

"Still, two hours to take care of one ghost is pretty ridiculous," said Eduardo.

"You're just sore because the call woke you up from your nap," Garrett shot back.

"Maybe a little."

As Winston parked the car and Garrett and Eduardo got out, Garrett spotted someone talking to Kylie and Janine at the desk. Her face wasn't immediately visible, but she had black hair that came down to her shoulders, and she was sitting in a wheelchair. Garrett smiled.

"Hey, Eduardo. Hottie in a wheelchair at 12 o'clock. I smell a good catch."

Danny heard this, turned toward the desk…

And his jaw dropped.

"SAM?!"

The girl in the wheelchair turned her head and broke into a wide grin.

"DANNY!"

She wheeled over and they embraced, somewhat awkwardly due to the chair.

"THAT'S Sam?" said Garrett, "As in, 'Danny's girlfriend' SAM?"

"Real slick, brah," said Eduardo snidely, mimicking some of the first words Garrett had ever said to him, "Open mouth, insert foot…"

Garrett resisted the urge to scratch his head with his middle finger.

"It's so good to see you!" said Danny, "When'd you get here? How'd you get here?"

"Dad and I are scouting colleges, and we're in town checking his old Alma Mater, Columbia University."

"Your Dad's here?"

"Yeah, turns out, he and Professor Spengler were old classmates. They're upstairs with Dr. Stantz."

"Columbia University? I think the other guys taught there for awhile," said Winston, "Then their department got cut."

"Parapsychology, I heard," replied Sam, "The University is bringing it back as an option for a minor, one I might just have to look into."

"With the ghost stuff happening in the city, they'd kind of have to," Danny muttered, "But it would be nice if you came to school here."

"Well, the minor wouldn't be _only_ reason I would want to go to Columbia," Sam purred.

"Well, you look well, I can tell you that," Danny replied after snickering.

"Physical therapy is a pain, but I'm muddling through. Same with the wheelchair. Decided to grow my hair out a bit. Little things like that. I miss you and Tucker, but the pain is getting more bearable every day. I haven't even seen much trouble from the old crowd, either. Guess that's one advantage of a wheelchair."

"I can vouch for that," said Garrett, "People don't really want to get chewed out for messing with a disabled person."

"I suppose," said Danny, "And at least you probably don't have to worry about-"

A knock on the door interrupted Danny, just as the smaller door swung open, revealing an old nightmare in pink.

"Oh my God! DANNY PHANTOM!" a light Hispanic voice rang out.

"Oh NO," said Danny and Sam simultaneously, "Not her…"

A pretty-looking Hispanic teen skipped in and immediately latched onto Danny.

"I found you after all this time. It's me, Paulina, your true one!"

"Oh dear God," Danny whispered exasperatedly, but the young woman didn't seem to hear him.

Paulina Sanchez, the most popular girl in Casper High. Every boy, and a few of the girls, had a crush on her. Even Danny did, at one time. Nowadays, he chalked it up to raging hormones, as he knew that her beauty belied a disposition that was shallower than a tea saucer.

And it certainly didn't help that Paulina was one of the biggest Danny Phantom fan-girls in Amity Park, singlehandedly responsible for half the fan clubs, fan websites, and fan gatherings that had ever been directed at him. She was insatiable in her lust for him, often going out of her way to see him fight, even when it was so clearly dangerous, any sane person would be running the other way.

'Sane' didn't seem to apply to her.

And since she had cared nothing for who Danny was as a person, only seeing him as an object of worship, Danny had brushed away any feelings that might have been and instead pursued more worthwhile relationships, eventually leading him to Sam…

Who at the moment, looked like she wanted to kill Paulina, wheelchair or not.

Catching Eduardo's eye, Danny mouthed 'HELP ME', snapping his friend out of the shock that had fallen over everyone with the fan-girl's arrival. Thinking quickly, Eduardo got a brilliant, and effective, idea.

"Oh, SLIMER!"

The green ghost came down through the ceiling, and it turned out to be the one thing that broke Paulina out of her fan-daze.

"Ugh! What is that disgusting thing?"

"That's Slimer," Eduardo replied, "Hey Slimer. See the hot lady? She's got pudding in her shirt!"

"Coco or banilla?"

"Swirl!"

"EEEEEEEEEE!" Slimer squealed with delight, swooping over to Paulina.

Paulina broke away from Danny and hightailed it, screaming as she ran out the door and away from the ravenous slime creature that was now chasing her. She might not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but she could see the writing on the wall.

"THANK YOU," Danny said exasperatedly as he brushed off his coat.

"No problem, man. I know the type. Ridiculously hot, but shallow as a puddle."

"You could step in a puddle of Paulina and not get your feet wet," Sam deadpanned, "I wouldn't put it past her to have traveled all this way just for a CHANCE to see Danny."

"She does seem the type," came the voice of Jeremy Manson as he descended the stairs, followed by Egon and Ray, "She was the one screaming?"

"Slimer attack," was the unanimous response.

"And I got the footage," said Kylie, putting away a camera and sporting a downright evil grin, "It'll go viral in minutes."

"MEEEEEEEEAN!" chorused Danny and Eduardo.

"But!" said Danny, "Considering all the junk those fan-girls gave me, all spearheaded by HER, for the past three years, I can't argue."

"You should have seen the flak and BS the tabloids put out about the Original Ghostbusters," said Janine, "I swear, the kinds of things those rags printed…"

"I can imagine," said Jeremy, before approaching Danny, "I understand you're a friend of my daughter's. At least, you and Daniel Fenton were."

"Err, yeah. Listen, I still have trouble talking about the original Danny, so…"

"Understandable. You know, you're lucky to have Professor Spengler backing you. Might have had a MUCH easier time back in Amity Park if there was someone like Egon backing you up in public. Someone respectable…"

"You'll get no arguments from me on that, sir. I didn't realize you had become a fan."

"I've been systematically debunking the aspects of your bad reputation," said Egon, "It's been somewhat slow going, but the initial lifting of the false murder charges opened a wide door to work with."

Slimer reentered the firehouse that moment, a sad look on his face.

"Get the pudding?" asked Winston.

"Noooooo…"

"Tell you what, Slimer," said Danny, "I'll make you some of my special cocoa."

Slimer's face picked up and he cheered, following Danny through the ceiling.

Jeremy looked over at Egon and Ray questioningly, but they shrugged.

"His cocoa is good, and Slimer's food nut," said Ray, "Do the math."

**oOo**

Sam had asked to stay at the firehouse a bit longer, citing that it would be a good chance to further research for a minor in parapsychology. Her father knew what she was really asking. She was asking to stay and catch up with her friend, and MAYBE see how this business worked. In the end, he agreed, but only after obtaining a promise for her to be escorted back to the hotel by ten.

"He's trying to be more open to new ideas," Sam had said after he left, "Glad my mom didn't come with us."

Danny and Sam ended up in the rec room and just chatted. They talked about what was going on in Amity Park and New York, they talked about some of Danny's recent adventures, they talked about some funny stories, they just talked.

Eventually, Eduardo shuffled over to their table and asked a question that took them by surprise.

"So, how did you two fall for each other anyway?"

They were silent for a moment before Danny smirked.

"Janine put you up to this, didn't she?"

"Kind of."

"This is about Kylie, isn't it?"

Eduardo's silence was all the answer Danny needed. Sam, on the other hand, bit her lip to keep from laughing. Danny had told her about the romantic tension during one of their phone conversations. But, she schooled herself and waved toward an open chair.

"Sit down, Ed. Story time."

"It actually started with Spectra," Danny began, "You remember her. Soulless witch with a penchant for psychological torture. Well, the last time I faced her, before New York, was when she got the bright idea to come at me through Sam. She's a psychiatrist, she reads people, she saw the subtext we were still figuring out. And she decided to use that."

"I'd rather not talk about exactly what she said to me. But a lot of it was pretty dark," said Sam, "And just as I was thinking about giving up and throwing myself unto her tender mercies, Danny came through the wall. And I don't mean intangibly."

"I had figured out who took Sam. Spectra left her fingerprints all over it, and by the time I had tracked her down, I was already pretty steamed. But bursting in, seeing Sam on the ground and in tears, with Spectra standing above her with her claws out, well…"

"You snapped," Eduardo summarized.

"I gave her the biggest beating I'd ever given anyone up 'til then. By the time I got through with her, she looked like a piece of tenderized meat."

"You're going to have to trust us on this, she was STOMPED," Sam interjected.

"I then spent the next ten minutes just holding Sam, calming her down and trying to figure out what Spectra said to her so I could know how to help. But by that point, she was close to catatonic, and nothing I could say snapped her out of it. Finally, I let slip how I loved her, and that seemed to do something. I bounced off that for a bit, and then we just…kissed. And we knew. And let me tell you something Eduardo; you won't truly know how far the feelings go until you're tested. But if you're willing to do anything for Kylie, and I do mean ANYTHING, anything to make sure she's happy, then that's the start of it. Things will go from there…"

"But you have to take that first step," said Sam, "Or else nothing will come of it."

Eduardo pondered that for a moment before asking one more question.

"But what exactly did you say to each other?"

Sam simply smiled.

"Now, now. A lady never kisses and tells."

**oOo**

Sunset came, and Danny and Sam decided to take a quick walk through Central Park. After quickly flying them there, Danny ducked behind a bush and returned to human form.

"You sure you should be walking around like that? What if someone recognizes a dead man?"

"Sam, this is New York. A _gorilla_ could walk down the street, and only five percent of the people would notice. Besides, this isn't the most recognizable face in the city."

And so they began to walk, Danny gently helping Sam propel her wheelchair when needed, but mostly they enjoyed each other's company in the cool of the evening. Finally, as Danny leaned down to attempt to kiss Sam, she held up her hand.

"Okay, hang on. I've sat on this long enough, and I have to know for certain. I need to hear it directly. This is the first time you've seen me in person since the wheelchair and-"

"And I don't care. I know where you're going with this, and before you go on about your disability, let me ask you something."

"What?"

"My left eye is half blind, requiring special glasses. I get chronic headaches thanks to previously mentioned eye injury. I have a slightly unhealthy addiction to hot chocolate. And most of all, I'm half human and half GHOST. There are only two other people in the world like me, but one's powerless and the other is possibly dead. I'd consider it a miracle if she turned out to still be alive despite her genetic destabilization. My own genetic structure is so screwed up, I'd probably have a better chance of becoming the president of CHINA than I would having kids. Does this bother YOU?"

"No…"

"Then your wheelchair doesn't bother ME. You know, Plato said that love between minds and souls was the truest kind, far above the physical."

Sam gave him an odd look.

"Roland's taking a philosophy class. He was studying aloud earlier. Regardless, we love each other for who we are, not the bodies…although those don't hurt…"

Sam chuckled, and Danny joined in.

"Point is, we both have baggage. We both have scars, mental and physical. But you don't care about mine, and I don't care about yours, end of story."

Then Danny looked around for a moment, changed to ghost form, grabbed Sam's wheelchair, and went airborne, Sam squealing in slight fear, then delight.

However, Danny had been so concerned about showing Sam a good time, he didn't realize that he had been followed. That young woman sat in the bushes nearby, stunned.

"Fenton?"

**oOo**

The next day dawned with a smug Hispanic teen bursting into the firehouse, pepper spraying a surprised Slimer, and slamming her manicured hands on Janine's desk.

"I know he's here!"

"Ms…Sanchez is it?" Janine said after a moment, "If you came to bully us in order to see Danny Phantom, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. He's a private individual and he has already told us at length about _you_. I can assure you that he is in no mood to entertain a fan-girl."

"I don't really care if he's in the mood or not," replied Paulina, a hungry gleam in her eye, "I saw him at the park last night. I know the truth about him. Now, unless he wants his little half-secret splattered all over, he's going to date me."

To her credit, Janine barely blinked. She merely took a few deep breaths and stood up.

"Are you really that stupid?"

"Huh?"

"Let's say, for a moment, that what you say is true, that there is some grand secret about Danny Phantom that you now know. Don't you think that there is a reason for this secret? That there aren't people who would kill to take him apart and see how he ticks? You live in Amity Park, you've seen how unscrupulous the Guys in White can be. Putting innocent civilians in danger, using extremely excessive force just to bring in a single spirit, and all that talk of experimentation upon helpless ghosts. You don't think they wouldn't find some way of getting to Phantom, ripping him apart to see how he can exist and how to replicate his powers, and shoving the barely conscious remnants into the deepest hole possible? And that's just the Guys in White! I've been with the Ghostbusters for years, and I've seen a number of individuals who have a much regard for ghosts as they do for their fellow man, which is to say VERY little.

"As a point of fact, you have something in common with them: you don't care. You don't really care about Danny, you just care about the idea of a hero that he embodies. You have never, for even a _second_, considered that he might not be interested in you? But no, all you care about is having a handsome hero as your arm candy. Well I got news for you sweetheart: you little fairy tale means jack squat. In the real world, a relationship means more than a pretty face. In the real world, heroes are just regular people who try to do better, despite what flaws they see in themselves or others. In the real world, opportunistic tarts like you don't find love until they start looking deeper. In the real world, people who step on others to get what they want don't live without seeing their comeuppance somewhere down the road.

"So get out of your little fantasies and start thinking about how things really are, because you might find that the world is a lot uglier than you thought, and people who you thought were handsome heroes have just as many scars as anyone else."

Janine sat back down, and Paulina reeled from her lashing.

"One more thing. If you ever come back here and bother Danny, you'll leave with a black eye. And if you ever do anything to hurt him, even a slip of the tongue that results in a secret uncovered, I will make sure that you never let anything slip ever again. He's gone through too much to be brought down by a pair of loose lips, and I won't see that happen to him. _Now scram_."

**oOo**

When she got back home from her mini-vacation, Paulina took down her Danny Phantom shrine and recycled all of the paraphernalia she had ever made or bought. When her friends asked her about this, all she would say was that she found Phantom in New York, and witnessed a different side of him.

"He's still a hero…but he's not the person I thought he was."

She never spoke of her trip again, the words of the Ghostbusters' fiery secretary ringing in her head whenever she thought back to New York and Danny Phantom.

* * *

><p><em>One more thing! Some of you might be wondering exactly what Danny and Sam said to each other so long ago during the confession.<em>

_Well, that's for them to know. And you to draw your own conclusions._

_And a Merry late Christmas to you all._


End file.
